


Second Chance at a Love Song

by Pokeluv101



Category: Servamp (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-03
Updated: 2017-11-03
Packaged: 2019-01-28 23:43:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 46,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12618232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pokeluv101/pseuds/Pokeluv101
Summary: Licht knew what it was like to love and lose and he never wanted to feel that pain again. But when he returned home for a performance, he is forced to work with the man that broke his heart. Even after all their years apart, Hyde still loved Licht and wanted a second chance at love.





	1. Chapter 1

"Shit," Licht muttered to himself when he noticed the person sitting only a few rows in front of him. What luck he had to be on the same flight as the last person he ever wanted to see again? He hadn't seen Hyde for almost ten years but Licht still remembered him clearly. How could Licht forget the man that promised him heaven but dragged his heart through hell instead?

"Just ignore him, Licht. Don't let him win." Licht told himself. He sunk further into his seat and hoped that Hyde wouldn't notice him. He wanted so much to march down the aisle and kick the man's face in but he couldn't. Licht was returning home for a performance and getting into a fight wouldn't be good publicity. And fighting was a certainty with them.

Licht checked his watch and was grateful that the flight would be over in ten minutes. He could control himself that long. Licht closed his eyes and tried to focus on his upcoming performance instead of Hyde. Out of habit, he drummed his finger against his armrest as if he was playing a piano. He loved to play and was glad his family supported his dream to be a pianist.

"The plane has landed. You may take off your seatbelt and proceed to the exit." An announcement pulled him back to reality. Even though Licht told himself to ignore Hyde, he couldn't stop himself from looking at him. The seat he was sitting in was empty so he must've already left the plane. Licht didn't know if he felt glad or disappointed.

Licht shook himself and forced himself to think of something else. His brothers should be waiting for him and he couldn't keep them waiting. With that thought, Licht hurried out of his seat. The quicker he left the airport, the less likely it was that they would see each other again. He pulled out his phone so he could text his brothers as he walked through the terminal.

 _Traffic's really bad so we're going to be a little late._  Licht sighed when he read the text. With nothing left to do, he found a bench to sit and wait. Once again, he began to tap his fingers against the chair. He closed his eyes and focused on the sound of his fingers. He was so focused that he didn't hear someone approach him from behind. A hand rested over his and squeezed it gently.

"Well, this is a rare sight. What have I done to be blessed enough to see an angel descending from the sky?" Licht recognized the voice that cut through the music in his mind. He turned quickly and saw Hyde leaning over him. Instinctively, he jumped to his feet and threw a glare at the man. "That's a cold reaction. No hug or kiss, Angel Cakes?"

Licht forced himself not to blush but hearing the endearment after so long moved feelings he thought he had buried. He quickly stepped on those feelings to stop them from hurting him again. Seeing Hyde's lazy grin reminded him that the man wanted nothing but to hurt him. Hyde only played with his feelings then and was likely doing so again. "I don't owe a demon like you anything."

"Now, that's not nice to say. I came home just to see you for the holiday. I didn't think a famous pianist like you would come back to this small town. But when I heard you were coming home, I book a flight to see you again. Did you think I wouldn't notice you on the plane?" Hyde walked around him so he could stand in front of Licht. He spread out his arms to Licht, "Isn't this the scene where we kiss and make up?"

* * *

"I can't believe that you started a fight the minute you stepped off the airplane! If I wasn't there to stop you, you would've caused more damage! I know our families never got along but you can't let them get to you like this." Mahiru lectured as he carefully wrapped a bandage around Licht's arm.

"It's not my fault that he pissed me off." Licht muttered to himself. To this day, he never told Mahiru and his family the truth about his relationship with Hyde. How could he? He was an Eve and Hyde was a Servamp. Even after so long, there had been tension between the two families. Something occurred between their parents that caused a rift. Since then, they raised their children to hate each other.

When they met, it was by complete accident and they didn't know the truth of who the other was. They both volunteered to be a part of a play their last year of high school. For the play, Licht played the piano and Hyde was an actor. He could still remember how Hyde seemed to glow on stage. After rehearsal, the two would stay behind to practice and they became surprisingly close.

It was only after the play was over, did they both find out the truth about each other. Usually family feuds were a thing of the past but in a small town, they might as well been living in the old ages. But Licht, despite his appearance, was a romantic. He believed that they could be together, even if it was in secret. He thought Hyde felt the same.

 _"Let's write our own ending to_ Romeo and Juliet _.We're both eighteen. We can elope and show our families how much we love each other. They can't go on hating each other when they see how in love we are!"_  Hyde had told him that before he broke his heart. Licht hated that he believed those words so easily.

The day they planned to elope, Licht waited at the church. But Hyde never came. At first, he didn't want to believe that Hyde would leave him on the day they planned eloped. He told himself that they both mistook the date they agreed to elope. But when he went to his house, he found out that Hyde left town earlier that day to join a traveling theater group.

They haven't spoken since that day. Hyde tried to call him several times but Licht refused to take his call. After that, he went to a music college in France and they lost touch. He thought they would go on like that but it seemed like he would have to put up with Hyde for the weeks he was in town. The only consolation he had was that he could avoid Hyde for the time he was in town.

"I really need to go practice." Licht stood and intended to go to his refuge: his piano. The only reason he returned was because he loved his family and his piano. Mahiru was organizing a Christmas play to help raise money for orphans and begged Licht to play the piano for the event. Licht couldn't say no to his brother so agreed. "I should start practicing. Is my piano still in my old room?"

"Yeah but I should warn you about something first." Mahiru tried to stop him but Licht was already gone. He was about to stop him and explain the situation but there was a knock on the door. He sighed and went to answer it.

Licht only wanted to sit in front of his piano and turn his confusing emotions into music. Anger, sadness, regret, all of those emotions can be lessened with time and music. Since he didn't have time, he could only channel his emotions through his music. The old house was still the same and he hoped that his piano hadn't changed either. He opened his door, eager to play his piano again.

"Welcome home, Angel-chan." Licht's eyes widened when someone greeted him as he entered his room. He was so shocked that he could only stand in the doorway. Hyde was lying on top of piano with a suggestive grin. Hyde slid off his piano and closed the door, leaving them alone in his room. "Doesn't this bring back memories? Me sneaking into your room and-"

"Get out!" Mahiru jumped when he heard a crash. He ran into the hallway just as Licht kicked Hyde out of the room. Licht's eyes burned with anger and Mahiru rushed to stop his brother. The door was broken and Mahiru hoped that would be the only casualty in their fight. It didn't help that Hyde seemed to be provoking Licht. But even though Hyde could, he never tried to block or fight back.

"Troublesome," a voice groaned next to Mahiru. He barely turned in time to see someone step between Licht and Hyde. He had let the man in earlier when he answered the door. The man blocked Licht's kick with ease and pushed him back. He stood but his stance was relaxed. He turned and sighed at Hyde. "I thought Hugh told you not to do anything stupid. Remember, this temporary truce is for Lily."

"Temporary truce?" Licht echoed in confusion. He turned to Mahiru who looked apologetically at him.

"You see, this play is a joint effort between the Eves and the Servamps." Mahiru said but Licht was only more confused. "Lily and I both signed up to organize the event and the simple solution was for both of us to do it together. It'll be easier with both of our families working together."

"And why didn't you tell me this when you asked me to play the piano for the play?"

"Because he knew that you would say no." Kuro pointed out. Honestly, he didn't want to bother with their family feud but he had already promised his siblings he would help. "Mahiru thought it'll be easier to convince you to help us once you're here and he could talk to you face to face. Don't be angry with him because he's doing this for orphans. We can put up with each other for a few weeks, can't we?"

"I can't stand being with him for a minute so how do you expect me to play the piano for a few hours with him in the same room?" Licht was speaking with Mahiru but made sure that Hyde could hear the venom in his voice. He stormed out of the room before his brothers could stop him.

"I'll talk to him." Hyde stopped Mahiru from going after him.

* * *

Hyde opened the door and wasn't surprised when music streamed out of the open door. The music was both angry and sad and Hyde knew that he was the one that caused those emotions. He thought that it would be easy. But that meeting only reminded him that love was far from easy.

"You still play beautifully." Hyde complimented.

Licht didn't turn to face him but Hyde knew that he heard him because his shoulders stiffened. He stopped playing and Hyde approached him. Neither spoke for a while. Licht should've predicted that Hyde would be able to find him. He would always go to the theater and play its piano whenever he was upset. Hyde knew that.

Hyde was the one to speak first. "Lily called me and asked me to play a part in the play."

"Well, it's only logical. You're a popular actor and that would attract more people to come. It'll be great publicity and help the orphans." Licht said softly and gently tapped the keys. A soft melody began to fill the room.

"I said yes because I thought it could give me a chance to see you again. It was silly to think that, wasn't it? You hate me. But we love our family so can't we get along for them? We're both adults now. We'll put on this play and we can go back to how things were." Hyde offered.

"You're right." Licht finally turned to face Hyde. "I hate you but I love my family. I'll play the piano for the play but it's for Mahiru, not you. The sooner this is over, the better it would be."

"Then we have an understanding." Hyde reached out his hand and Licht reluctantly shook it. Even though they shook hands, Hyde had no intention of letting go. He would win his angel back and make up for all his mistakes.


	2. Chapter 2

Tetsu was certain that his theater would be in shambles by the end of the play. He knew of the rivalry between the Servamps and Eves but didn't think that it would be this violent. At best, some were trying to be polite even though they were barely concealing their frustration. But at worst, they were already fighting. Tetsu dodged the chair that went flying off the stage and sighed.

That was the fifth one he would have to fix.

"Where did you hide my music sheets, you demon? I'll kill you 'til you're dead!" Licht and Hyde had been fighting since they entered the theater. Even though they were destroying his theater, Tetsu's sympathy was for Mahiru. He was running around the stage, trying to get everyone to cooperate which now seemed like a hopeless endeavour.

"Licht, calm down! I have another copy of the music sheets you can use. Lily, can you control your brother? You must be able to do something since you're the oldest." Mahiru begged.

"I'm actually the youngest," Lily informed him and Mahiru's jaw dropped. When they spoke about organizing the play together, he had the impression that Lily was the oldest. He was the tallest and seemed very responsible. But now, seeing Lily's carefree smile, Mahiru had to wonder about his judgement. "Don't worry about Hyde much. This is just how he is. But he always comes through in the end."

"Who is the oldest? I'm sure he'll be able to help me control this situation." Mahiru asked. Lily pointed to someone and Mahiru was shocked.  _Him?_

"Why are you pointing at me?" Kuro turned to face the two when he felt their eyes on him. Lily was smiling innocently while Mahiru looked frustrated. Both of their expression signaled trouble to him. Even though Lily's smile seemed carefree, Kuro knew how important the play was to him.

"Why are you just sitting there?" Mahiru accused and marched to where Kuro was sitting. Ever since they started rehearsal, Kuro had done nothing but watch which frustrated Mahiru to no ends. This man was the oldest? "We agreed that our two families would work together. If you don't have anything to do, you can help make posters."

"Can't." Kuro told him with no hesitation. "Lily already gave me a job. I'm in charge of keeping the peace. If an actual fight breaks out, I'll stop it peacefully."

"And what do you call that?" Mahiru gestured to Licht and Hyde fighting. Earlier that week, he saw Kuro stop them so there was no question about his strength or ability. But it was clear to Mahiru that Kuro lacked the motivation to do anything. "Stop your brother so we can start rehearsal!"

"I don't need to. Hyde and Licht aren't going to hurt each other. They're both holding back. It's much easier to let them tire themselves out than waste my energy trying to break them apart. And Hyde doesn't need rehearsals. He can memorize any script in no time and give a great performance." Kuro shrugged.

Even though his voice was deadpanned, Mahiru could hear respect and affection in it as well. Kuro leaned back on the cushioned seat and yawned. He remembered every terrible thing his father told him about the Eves but the worst thing he could call Mahiru was troublesome. Kuro turned back to the pair fighting and studied their movements. "By the way, you better duck about now."

"Wha?" Kuro pulled on Mahiru's sleeve and he barely dodged the table that went flying across the room. Mahiru looked over his shoulder and panicked. Someone was walking through the door and into the path of the table. He tried to call out for them to stop but he couldn't stop him in time. Luckily, Tetsu was faster. He stood in front of the person and caught the table.

"You okay?" Tetsu asked and looked down at the person. He was surprisingly short and barely reached his shoulder. It must've been a shock to him since looked wide eyed up at him for a moment. A quiet hanged in the air between and Tetsu waited for him to speak first. He started to open his mouth and Tetsu was expecting him to have a meek voice.

"Who the Hell threw that?" A commanding voice came out instead. Even if the man was short, he had the air of a noble. He turned away from Tetsu and marched to the stage, anger clearly on his face. "I knew working with this bunch will only lead to trouble!"

"Misono, wait!" Mahiru quickly tried to calm his brother.

"You're Misono, right?" Lily stopped Misono before he could climb onto the stage. "I read the script you sent to Mahiru. It's great! A wonderful piece of work! But I should expect nothing less from someone with your reputation. I'm thankful that we have someone like you to help us make this play a success. I just have a few suggestions."

Misono's brow twitched at his last sentence. How could someone suggest that his play needed any improvement? He was a playwright and was successful enough to make a name for himself on Broadway. He moved to the US after university but returned home to Japan for Mahiru's play.

"Let's just hear Lily out, Misono. Lily has some great ideas and you can make them better with your skills." Mahiru complemented and Misono paused for a moment. Lily watched the pair carefully and could see how well Mahiru knew his brother.

"So what were you thinking of?" Misono asked Lily.

"Well, I was thinking of giving it more of a Christmas spirit." Lily suggested and Misono's brows furrowed. Mahiru had given him a brief outline of what the play should be: a simple Christmas play that both children and adults would enjoy.

So he wrote a play about a soldier braving a storm so he could return home for Christmas. Misono wrote the protagonist to be a hopeless romantic that wanted to return and win back the love of his childhood friend. But in the end, he would die in the storm, holding onto that hope. "It takes place during the holiday. Isn't that enough?"

"Yeah, but it's depressing as hell." Hyde interjected and playfully tapped Misono's shoulder with the script. "What kid wants to see a man freeze to death? This is great, almost on par with Shakespeare himself. But it's more a tragedy than a Christmas play. Where's the Christmas?"

"And what elements of Christmas should I add then? Candy canes and a snow fairy for the kids?"

"Love," Lily suggested with a bright smile.

"Family," Kuro added in a lazy drawl.

"Hope and Forgiveness." Hyde tilted a glance to Licht and the latter knew that the words were directed at him rather than Misono. But he knew that reacting to Hyde's suggestion would only cause his family to wonder about their relationship because, on the surface, the words had no malice. Even though the words mocked him, Licht bit his lower lip.

"Maybe the only thing he deserves is to be pushed off a cliff. I think Misono's ending is fitting. He left her waiting in the snow. So why should she be sad hearing that he froze sitting out in the cold? He got what he deserved, if you ask me." Licht couldn't stop himself from biting back. Hyde kept a smile on his face but he was an actor so Licht could never know his true feelings.

"I thought the script had him leaving her in the summer." Mahiru looked over the script again. There was something sad and angry in Licht's voice but Mahiru knew that this wasn't the time or place to ask him about it. So he changed the subject and gave out instructions instead.

"We still have a lot of time before the play so we can make adjustment to the script. Misono, work on the script with Lily and Hyde. I doubt the script will change that much so we can make costumes and props based off the original script. Does any of your brothers sew and do construction?" Mahiru asked. "Mikuni has an antique store so we can get some things from there but there are still some things we need."

"JeJe is good with making things." Lily volunteered him. "He's kinda shy and not very good with crowds but I can get him to help. Give me a list of things you need made and I'll give it to him."

"Good. Licht and I will go hand out flyers and get donations." Mahiru thought that it would be best to separate Hyde and Licht. While there was tension between the Eves and Servamps, it was clear to Mahiru that whatever feelings Licht had didn't stem from that. He didn't know what happened between them to make Licht angry but he would do his best to help his brother.

"I'll stay here and keep an eye on everyone. Just to make sure no one starts fighting." Kuro gave himself an easy task. Mahiru's brows twitched and he took Kuro's arm, stating that he would help them hand out flyers. Kuro sighed and let himself be dragged along since it was easier than fighting. "This play is going to be troublesome, isn't it?"

* * *

"I  _really_  like this song! It'll make the play better. Please make Lichtan play it." Hyde begged and pressed the CD into Misono's hand. He sighed since Lily and Hyde had been pressing their frivolous ideas onto him with no thought to how it impacted his script. He was open to some ideas but how could he work in their outlandish suggestions? At least Lily's suggestions were reasonable but Hyde wanted to add everything from a robot nutcracker to a sing-a-long.

"Just let me think for a moment!" Misono demanded and was grateful that Lily pulled Hyde back. He looked down at the notebook he wrote all of their suggestions in. In just twenty minutes, they had suggested enough to fill half of the notebook. "I'll look over everything and try to think of how to add them. I'll tell you my ideas when I'm done but I need time to think."

"I'm sure whatever you come up with will be great." Lily smiled.

"I shouldn't take more than an hour." Misono nodded to him before walking to find a quiet corner of the theater to write. Unfortunately, the others that stayed behind were busy making set pieces backstage so there didn't seem to be a place he could write. He decided that he would have to return home to write and began to put away his notes in his bag.

"Where are you going?" Someone tapped him on his shoulder and Misono looked over his shoulder. He recognized the man that blocked the table from hitting him. Now he stood over him and he was abnormally tall. Misono couldn't stop himself from being jealous. He knew that he was short and was teased for it often. "Mahiru said that you need to stay and work together."

"I need quiet if I'm going to be able to write. This theater is just too nosy for me to concentrate. I'm going home to write but I'll come back once I'm finished. I'm sure Mahiru won't mind if I leave." Misono told him. The man looked thoughtful for a moment before gesturing for Misono to follow him. He was confused but followed him. "Where are we going?"

"Somewhere quiet." He answered shortly. He led Misono off stage and started to climb a ladder to the bridge hanging above. Misono hesitated but followed the man up the ladder. At the top, he held out his hand to Misono to help him onto the bridge. The bridge shook slightly as he stepped onto the bridge but Misono was able to keep his balance thanks to the man's hand.

"Is this quiet enough for you?" He asked with a seemingly blank expression. "My family owns this theater so I know a lot of secret places you can write. My name's Tetsu."

"Well thank you, Tetsu. This should be good enough." Misono was surprised that it was quiet on the bridge. He could still hear the noise from below slightly but he was able to concentrate. He took his notes out of his bag and began to work. From the corner of his eye, he could see that the tall man hadn't left yet. "Is there something else you need from me?"

"You're not what I expected." Tetsu sat next to him and peered at him curiously. Misono wasn't used to someone staring at him and had to turn away. "From what Hugh told me-"

"Hugh? What rumours have that Servamp told you about me?" Misono snapped which confused Tetsu. Honestly, he didn't know much about either the Servamps or Eves. His family had moved to the town and built the theater when he was a child. Hugh was his best friend and Mahiru would often volunteer at the theater but they never spoke to each other before.

"He didn't tell me much. Why do you hate each other?" Tetsu asked and looked down at stage.

"Servamps can't be trusted. We learned that the hard way." Misono was surprised that Tetsu didn't know of their history but thought he deserved to know. "Our mother and their father were engaged and in love once. Times were hard back then. They gathered all the valuables they had into a chest and hid it away somewhere. They promised not to take from it until their wedding night. But that day, they found the chest was gone."

"Someone stole it?"

"The Servamps stole it!" Misono corrected. "Only two people knew where that chest was hidden. Our mother didn't take it so that leaves one person. I don't know why he stole the chest, greed maybe, but we can't trust Servamps anymore. And they have the gall to say that it was us that stole the chest! Our mother was the one that was left brokenhearted so how can they point the finger at us?"

Tetsu was silent for a moment, thinking over Misono's story. He knew Mahiru and Hugh well and couldn't see either of them being thieves. He wanted to help make the play a success but knew that it would be difficult with their fighting. "I don't think either one of you stole it. How about we find out the truth? Everyone will stop fighting then."

"The Servamps stole the chest almost forty years ago. How do you expect us to find any proof that proves otherwise?" Misono asked and Tetsu could only shrug. "Anyways, we have to work on this play so we don't have time to go on a treasure hunt. Now let me work on this script."

"Okay," Tetsu stood and left but the story still played on his mind.

* * *

"Come to our play!" Licht thrust a flyer into the hands of a passerby. Even though he had good intentions, the determination on his face came across as a scowl and they ran from him. Licht clicked his tongue, "What is with these people? Why would they run from an angel like me?"

"Because angels are much too bright." An arm draped over his shoulder and Licht turned to see Hyde.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be practicing your lines?" Licht demanded as he pushed Hyde away from him. Luckily, Hyde didn't try to resist and let go of him. Still, he kept his goofy grin that Licht both loved and hated. Why did Hyde always appear at the worst moments to stir his emotions?

"Can't practice my lines when there's no script," Hyde pointed out. "And Misono's going to take a  _long_  time trying to incorporate all the suggestions I gave him. So until then, I'm free to do whatever I like. And I wanna spend my time with my violent angel. You'll have a much easier time getting people to take flyers from you if you try smiling instead of scowling."

"I don't feel like smiling when I see your face. It only makes me want to punch you." Licht pointed out. The only thing that stopped him from fighting with Hyde was the fact that Mahiru was nearby and knowing Mahiru would scold him. "Leave so I can hand out these flyers."

"Let me help you with that. I'm serious about you and I want to make this play a success. Let me prove it to you." Hyde took some of the flyers from Licht. He jumped onto a bench and grinned down at him. He threw the flyers into the air to catch the attention of people in the park. "It is my honour to invite all of you to see the annual Christmas play for charity!"

Licht watched Hyde who had no trouble gathering a crowd around him. He always had a personality that attracted people with its energy. That passion and teasing smile was what first drew Licht to Hyde. He didn't seem to care about what people thought of him and had total confidence in himself.

"Come and watch. And at the end of play, I have a special plan. I want to propose to the love of my life so come and support me! He can't say no in front of everyone!"

"Don't make crazy announcements like that!" Licht couldn't stop himself from blushing. He kicked Hyde off the bench and dragged him away from the crowd. It seemed like he only wanted to provoke a reaction out of him by mocking his feelings. He pulled Hyde behind a tree so Mahiru wouldn't see them speaking.

"Trying to be romantic, Angel?" Hyde caught Licht off guard by pulling on his arm and turning him around. Licht felt himself stumble back until his back hit the tree and Hyde quickly trapped him against it by placing his hands on either side of him. "Are you willing to listen to why I left now?"

"I told you, it won't change anything!" Licht snapped. "So don't pull a stunt like that again. You said that everything would go back to how things were but I should've known that you were only lying. That's all you seem to do. Is it fun playing with people's feelings?"

"I'm not playing." Hyde was shocked when he studied Licht's face. It was flush but he didn't know if it was from the cold or something else. But the reason for the stray tear on his face was clear. "I said things could go back to what it was but I have every intention of winning you back. I didn't want to hurt you but I had to go. I left that-"

"You left me nothing! I had to find out from your brothers that you left. I meant so little that I didn't even deserve an explanation or a proper break up." Licht snapped. He knocked away Hyde's arm and ran from him before Hyde could stop him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even though I'm going to be focusing on LawLicht, I do want to include my other ships. There are a lot of characters in Servamp but I'm keeping my focus on only a handful of them. I love all of the characters but I don't want to make this fanfic too clutter either. This is a side fanfic and I want to keep it simple.


	3. Chapter 3

Hyde ran his hand along the wooden fence that bordered the Eve's house until he came across a loose board. It came off easily and he forced himself through the small hole. When he was younger, he would use the hole to sneak into the house and see Licht. But he was older and larger now and he had to wonder how he could've used the small hole back then.

"Finally," Hyde whispered to himself when he was able to go through the hole. It was past midnight so everyone was likely asleep. He sneaked into Licht's room so many times when he was younger that he could find Licht's window in the dark. His room was on the first floor so Hyde didn't have to worry about climbing to his window.

Light streamed out of Licht's window so Hyde knew that Licht was most likely awake and practicing his piano. He peered into the window and grinned when he saw that he was right. It seemed that his angel hadn't changed much and Hyde was glad. His plan depended on that. He wanted to win back Licht's heart and make up for all the time they lost. He was sure once they were alone, he could explain everything.

The house was old so Licht's window couldn't be lock properly or securely. It only had an old, rusted latch and Hyde knew how to open it from the outside. He had done it many times in the past. He took out his pocket knife and slid it underneath the lock. He pushed the latch up until it slid out of the hook. With that done, he was able to open the window with ease.

Licht didn't hear the window open or feel the cold air drifting into his room. His attention was on the music sheets and the keys. Whenever he played, he was pulled into his own world and lost track of everything, including the time. Very few things could pull him out of the world. Such as a snowball hitting the back of his head.

"What the hell?" Licht's hand stumbled over the keys when he felt snow flow down his neck. He turned around and wasn't sure if he should be surprised or not by the sight. Hyde was leaning against the window with a grin. He was juggling a snowball in his hand. It was obvious that he was the one who threw snow at him.

"Aren't we up a little late, Lichtan?" Hyde climbed through the window before Licht could close it. "I saw the most angelic light from your window. It called to me so I followed.  _But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east and—_ "

"Don't try to use that shit on me! Can't you just shut up and die?" Licht kicked him, stopping him mid sentence. When they were dating, Hyde would always quote the plays he had been in. That should've told him not to trust Hyde. Every romantic word he told him weren't his own and were fake. It was all an act just to hurt him. "Get out of my room!"

"C'mon, Angel, you could've at least let me get to the line:  _It is my love. Oh, that he knew he were._  I'm trying to be romantic here but it takes two to do this little dance of ours." Hyde whined as he rubbed his back where Licht kicked him. He knew that Licht was about to kick him again so quickly tried to put his plan into action. "Wait. I came to recruit you to save the cats!"

"Save Mr. Cat?" Licht stopped and his eyes widened. Hyde smiled inwardly when he reacted just as he thought he would. Though Licht had a rough exterior, he was rather naïve at heart and had a soft spot for animals. He even had the wish to be able to speak to animals when he was younger. Luckily, that part of Licht hadn't changed over the years.

"I heard that the cats in the shelter are in danger. The only person that can save them is my pure Angel so I came to get your help. You see, the heat in the animal shelter broke but they can't fix it until the weekend. In a cold night like this, the animals will likely freeze." Hyde told him with exaggerated gestures. "So, will you come with me?"

"Will you shut up, already? Those cats are freezing while you're going on and on." Hyde turned to see that Licht was already climbing out his window. His serious expression and clear eyes made Hyde smile and feel lighthearted. Hyde nodded and followed Licht out the window. They stepped out into the cold night together and Hyde couldn't help but be reminded of all the times they would sneak out in the past.

Licht had the same memories rushing through his mind. Even though he promised himself that he wouldn't be tricked by Hyde again, he found it much more difficult than he thought it would be. They knew each other surprisingly well and Hyde knew what to tell him to sway his heart. Hyde could very well be lying about the cats but he couldn't let himself leave the issue.

So, he tried to keep his mind on the cats rather than Hyde. Licht walked quickly to the shelter, wanting to see them and leave Hyde as quickly as possible. He rubbed his hands together and blew into them to keep them warm. In his rush, he only threw on a jacket and didn't put on gloves or a scarf. It was still early December but the cold had already settled into the night.

"Let me warm you up, Lichtan." Hyde saw Licht trembling slightly and went to hug him. Predictably, Licht tried to kick once he approached him to give him a hug. Pulling back, Hyde took off one of his gloves and held it out to Licht. "At least wear this. I can't let a famous pianist freeze off his fingers."

"One glove? Did you lose all your brain cells or something? How is this going to help either of us?"

"Don't doubt me so easily. Give me your hands," Hyde instructed but Licht didn't move to obey so he gently took his left hand. He slipped the glove onto Licht's left hand but held onto his right hand. Before Licht could pull back, Hyde entangled their fingers and placed their hands into his jacket's large pocket. "Now all of our hands are warm. Aren't I smart?"

"The minute we reach the shleter, I'm going to kill you." Licht clicked his tongue. It was difficult to keep his distance from Hyde when they were holding hands. He had to admit that he was much warmer with Hyde beside him but he would never say that out loud to him. He could feel Hyde rubbing his thumb over his finger to warm them further and those small gestures made his heart stumble.

"You say that every time but I'm still here." Hyde pointed out with a smirk and Licht answered by kicking his leg. That caused Hyde to stumble and he pulled Licht with him since they were still holding hands. Hyde quickly caught him before they could fall onto the street and wrapped his free arm around Licht's waist. "If you wanted me to hold you closer, you could've told me instead of kicking me."

"Oh shut up, shit rat!" Licht blushed and stomped away.

Hyde laughed and followed Licht again. He looked down at his hand and could still feel Licht's warmth in it. He would've liked to hold his hand longer but he knew he should be grateful for every little moment he could coax from Licht. But he was greedy and wanted to have Licht's heart once again. He didn't realize how much he needed it before he spent years without it.

Licht was glad that Hyde seemed to give up on teasing him and they reached the shelter. He peered into the window but the lights were out and it didn't seem like anyone was inside. With the moonlight, he could see the animals inside and determination filled him once again. There must be a way inside. "I'm going to the back to see if the back door is unlocked."

"There's no need when we have this." Hyde held out a set of keys. He walked past Licht and unlocked the front door. "Do you remember those three the run she shelter? One of them has a kid so he can't help as often. My sister helps the three owners sometimes and they gave her the keys to the place. I swiped these off her. The key for the cages should also be in here too."

The moment Hyde told him that, Licht took the keys and quickly ran into the animal shelter. He didn't waste any time freeing the animals from their cages. Hyde couldn't help himself from chuckling at the sight. He had the expression of a revenging angel, saving the lost souls of the innocent. Hyde turned on the lights before going to join Licht.

"An angel is here to save you, Mr. Cat. My angelic presence should be enough to keep you warm." Licht told the cats with a serious tone and Hyde tried to cover his laughter with a hand over his mouth. How could a man be so adorable? He was sitting on the ground and the cats surrounded him. He didn't seem to notice that it was warm in the shelter and the heater wasn't broken.

"You've always loved animals, haven't you?" Hyde commented and sat next to him. Some of the cats came over to him and climbed onto his lap. He absentmindedly scratched one of their ears but his attention was on Licht the entire time. His face was slightly flushed but he didn't know if it was because they just came in from the cold.

"They pure. If you give them love, they'll love you back unconditionally." Licht said and tried not to look at Hyde. But he found himself watching him from the corner of his eyes. "And their fur is soft and warm like a cloud. Holding a cat is probably the closest a human can get to holding a heavenly cloud."

"Hey, my hair is soft like a cloud!" Hyde whined. He thought that using the cats would let them be alone but Licht was paying more attention to them than him. He couldn't help but feel jealous. Licht clicked his tongue in response and continued to play with the cats. Eventually, his jealousy got the better of him. "Just feel my hair and see how soft it is!"

Hyde pushed the cat off Licht's lap and quickly laid his head down. He stared up at Licht with a sly smile. When Licht would've pushed him off, Hyde placed a sleeping cat on his chest. "Wait, I can't move. I have a cat sleeping on me. You don't want to wake Mr. Cat, do you?"

"I really hate you right now." Licht frowned down at him but Hyde didn't lose his smile. Licht had to wonder if there was anything that could make him lose his composure. He was such a good actor that Licht could never tell what he was truly thinking. "You're a real demon for using an innocent animal like that. I don't know why they would go anywhere close to you."

"Are these cats really that great? I'm just as good at cuddling as them. If I was an animal, I would be the most adorable thing that you've ever seen. Lichtan would hug me and hold me and give me all his love." Hyde took Licht's hand and placed it on his head. "What kind of animal do you think I'd be?"

"I call you 'Shit Rat'. You really don't have the brain power to guess?" Licht rolled his eyes. He didn't realize that he was threading his fingers through Hyde's hair because it was out of habit. The soft purring of the cats was the only sound between them for a while. He looked down at Hyde and it seemed he was asleep because his eyes were closed. Licht tried to pet the cat on Hyde's chest but a hand stopped him.

"Why'd you stop?" Hyde reached up and tenderly grabbed his wrist. "I really love your hands. They're so gentle and they feel nice running through my hair. Do you remember when we used to do this after practice? We'd sneak into the theater and I'd sit next to you while you play your piano. That was my favourite place to be and I missed it while travelling."

"The theater?"

"Being next to you." Hyde corrected and read the emotions crossing across Licht's face until it settled on doubt.

"Stop with those pointless lines. Do you think I'd believe anything you say? You didn't love me. You wouldn't have left me if you love me. I'm certain you've never been in love before!"

" _That ever love did make thee run into, thou hast not loved. Or if thou hast not sat as I do now, wearying thy hearer in thy mistress's praise, thou hast not loved. Or if thou hast not broke from company abruptly, as my passion now makes me, thou hast not loved._  I've done all those things with you. I love you, Licht."

The sound of his name made Licht's heart stop. Hyde had always referred to him by a nickname and rarely used his actual night. But he couldn't let that sound sway him. "That's what love is according to Shakespeare. That's not your view on love or even mine. When I love someone, I hold onto them and do everything I can to be together. You threw me away!"

Licht pushed Hyde off his lap and stood. "We came here to help Mr. Cat, not to talk about us. We need to put blankets inside their cages so they'll be able to stay warm. There should be extra blankets or towels in the back that they can use. Once we do that, we're heading home."

"As you wish, Lichtan." Hyde sighed and went to follow Licht's order. He knew that pushing Licht any further would only drive him away more. If only he could learn the words that could win him back or at least express how he felt. The feelings he had were hard to define in a single word or an entire sonnet but the core of those words was the same.

Love. A love that was not Time's fool as Shakespeare once wrote. The feelings he had for Licht haven't deteriorated since they first met and Hyde wanted to prove that to him. He watched Licht and whispered. "I'm not asking you to forgive me. I just want a second chance."

* * *

"You okay?" Hyde looked up from his script to see Kuro. He had returned home earlier and threw himself into the play to forget Licht's rejection. Hours had passed and he didn't realize that Kuro had came into his room. Kuro pulled out a chair and sat across from him. "You woke me up with all that sighing you're doing. So, tell me what's wrong so we can both go back to sleep."

"Have you ever been in love, Kuro?" Hyde asked and they were both silent for a moment until they both burst out laughing. They both knew that Kuro rarely interacted with people so there was little chance of that. "Okay, stupid question. But, if you fell in love with someone, how would you tell them?"

"I'd tell them they're troublesome as hell." Kuro shrugged. "Love and dating is hard and time consuming and takes way too much energy. But I love them so I'd put up with it."

"No wonder you've been single for so long." Hyde laughed. Kuro always had trouble finding someone who understood him and didn't judge him. Outside of his family, no one seem willing. Any time he did date someone in the past, the person would try to change him.

"But that's me. We all fall in love differently and have our own definition of it. So, if you want to tell him that you love him, use your own words. Out of everyone in this family, you're the best with words so I'm sure you'll be able to tell him. Just do it your own special way." Kuro ruffled Hyde's hair as he would when they were younger. "Now get to bed before Wrath yells at both of us."

"Okay," Hyde laughed and put away the script. He thought over Kuro's words as he left. "My own way, huh?"

* * *

"Who is knocking this early?" Misono rubbed his tired eyes as he went to answer the door. It was early in the morning and he was extremely tired because he stayed up much later than he usually did to finish the play. Considering that, Misono thought he was delusional when he opened the door. Tetsu and Lily were standing in the doorway with shovels.

"I'm going back to sleep," Misono started to close the door but Lily stopped him quickly. "What are you two doing here?"

"We're going on a treasure hunt." Tetsu told him simple. "And you're coming with us."


	4. Chapter 4

"So tired," Kuro groaned as he walked to the theater. Never in his life had he gotten up so early but Lily insisted that he help watch over the play since he would be busy for the day. Lily rarely asked for anything, despite being the youngest, so Kuro agreed to help. Even though he would complain about work, there was little Kuro wouldn't do for his family.

As he walked closer to the theater, Kuro could see Mahiru sitting in front of the theater. He groaned because he could already hear him chastise him for being late or lazy. They would have to work together for the day because Lily was gone and he knew that fact wouldn't make Mahiru happy. Kuro reminded himself that it was Lily's wish and steeled himself for Mahiru's lecture.

To Kuro's surprise, Mahiru didn't greet him. When he walked up the steps to the theater, he realized why. He was fast asleep while leaning against the theater door. There were dark shadows under his eyes and Kuro was reminded of how hard Mahiru was working for a simple play. He must've been tired if he could fall asleep outside on the hard ground.

"Eh, you're not dead, are you? You're going to catch a cold or pneumonia sleeping out here." Kuro carefully nudged Mahiru but the man didn't respond. He began to panic slightly and knelt in front of him. Kuro took off his jacket and placed it over Mahiru in an attempt warm him. That kind gesture was contrasted by Kuro frantically shaking him. "Wake up!"

"I'm awake!" Mahiru came awake with a start. He saw Kuro kneeling in front of him and he wasn't wearing a jacket. "What are you doing out in the cold without a jacket? You're going to get sick."

"Can't deal. I thought you needed a jacket more than me." Kuro gestured and Mahiru realized that he was wearing a large blue jacket. It looked worn but it was surprisingly warm. "I can't believe you tried to lecture me like a housewife when you're the one that decided to take a nap out here. Why did you even decide to sleep out here when you can just go inside?"

"Well, the door's lock. Tetsu forgot to leave the door unlock for me so I texted him to come. I thought he wouldn't be that long so I decided to wait here. I guess I just doze off…" Mahiru hated that he had to explain himself while Kuro lectured him. "I hope he gets here before everyone else does. I want to get inside and set everything up before we start the rehearsal."

"Hey, Housewife, you got a hairpin or something?" Kuro asked Mahiru teasingly and held out his hand.

"Housewife?" Mahiru repeated, shocked to be called by such a nickname. Kuro still held out his hand to him expectantly. He had to sigh and took out a sewing kit from his bag. He liked to always be prepared so would made sure to carry anything he might need. He had to wonder how Kuro knew he had one and asked, "How did you—"

"How did I know you had a needle? Well, you seem like the type of person who would carry stuff like this." Kuro shrugged and took the sewing kit from him. He took out several pins and began to work on the lock. Mahiru watched him, shocked, while Kuro spoke nonchalantly. "I called you a housewife for a reason. You really need to relax a little bit and— That should do it."

Mahiru didn't know what to think when Kuro turned the doorknob and the door opened with no resistance. What kind of person was Kuro to be able to expertly pick a lock? Did he have a delinquent past? Did he dare ask? "We should wait for Tetsu. This is breaking and entering and we could get in trouble for doing this! Where did you even learn how to do that?"

"Don't look at me like I'm some criminal. Everyone in my family knows how to pick a lock because one of my brothers has this habit of locking himself in his workplace. If we don't break into his room and drag him out, he would forget to feed himself and starve to death." Kuro told him. Whenever he told a girlfriend that, they would be disappointed that he didn't have the tragic backstory they thought.

Mahiru laughed. It was light and clear, which Kuro didn't expect. Mahiru sounded slightly relieved but said, "You really have a strange family but I guess I'm not one to talk. Sometimes I had to force myself into Licht's room to get him away from his piano. I should consider myself lucky that Licht didn't lock his door because I don't know if I can pick a lock."

"They're troublesome but they're family. Are you going to come in, or not? It's cold standing out here." Kuro asked and held the door open for Mahiru. He blushed when he realized that he was still wearing his jacket so rushed inside. It was large on him and Mahiru didn't realize how much taller Kuro until then. Once they were both inside, he handed the large jacket back to Kuro.

"Thanks for the jacket. But I'm surprised that you came here first and not Lily. Actually, I thought Tetsu and Misono would also be here by now." Mahiru commented as he pulled out costumes from his bag. Misono and Lily were supposed to meet him before practise started so they could discuss the set pieces they needed. "Do you know when they'll get here?"

"Probably tomorrow." Kuro answered. "Lily and Hugh said something about kidnapping Misono for a treasure hunt or something. I honestly zoned out when they started talking about our whole family history and everything. But you don't need to worry about Misono. My brothers won't hurt him and they'll probably get bored with this treasure hunt and come back to help with the play."

"Wait, they kidnapped Misono?" Mahiru's jaw dropped. He checked his phone and saw that Misono had sent everyone a text about the 'treasure hunt'. He could already guess the trouble the treasure hunt and Misono's text would create. "I think you should call your brothers and tell them to come back. I'm not worried about Misono being hurt but your brothers."

"Why?" Kuro ask.

* * *

 _Just a little more_ , JeJe thought to himself and held his breath as he carefully attached the mast to the tiny wooden boat. He made ship in a bottle and sold them online for a living. It started as a hobby but it turned into an occupation that gave him the privacy and financial stability he needed. He was also able to work in the silence of his own home which was important since his job required intense concentration.

"What the hell did you Servamps do to my darling brother?" A giant crash broke his concentration. He had to flinch when someone kicked open the door to his workshop. He could barely turn before someone roughly turn his chair around. The man that invaded the privacy of his workshop wore an unusual cowboy outfit but JeJe was too annoyed to laugh.

"This is breaking and entering." JeJe said with a sigh which contrasted the man's exaggerated screaming. He didn't even know who the man was so JeJe didn't know how to respond to his accusations and threats. The man took out his phone and pressed it to JeJe's face.

"This is my baby brother. He just texted me saying that two crazy people kidnapped him for some treasure hunt. And one of them was your brother Lily so you're going to tell me where they are. We need to find them before something happen to Misono." The man insisted and JeJe finally recognized him when he said the name Misono.

"Mikuni?" They were the same age and were in the same class a couple times but they rarely spoke to each other. He only remembered Mikuni as they crazy Eve that loved to brag about his siblings, mostly Misono. And from the way Mikuni was speaking to him now, JeJe was glad they never spoke much back then. "You can go find them by yourself, I have work to do."

"What work is more important than finding my baby brother." Mikuni insisted and began to drag JeJe away from his work desk. JeJe desperately tried to hold onto his desk and wondered what unforgiving force brought Mikuni to him and not one of his other siblings. Mikuni dragged him out of his workshop and JeJe winced at the bright light.

"You Eves are nothing but trouble. I'll tell you where they went so let me go! At least let me get my coat," JeJe screamed. Unexpectedly, Mikuni loosened his grip and JeJe was able to break away from him. He took his coat from the hanger and shrugged it on. He didn't know where Lily and Hugh were but intended to take Mikuni to Mahiru who could hopefully deal with him.

"You know you look like the Grim Reaper wearing that thing? At least take off the hood so people can see your face. Even back in high school you wore these dark, drab clothes and stayed in the shadows. What are, some vampire?" Mikuni pointed out and JeJe rolled his eyes. He didn't respond and walked outside, leaving Mikuni to follow him.

He didn't hate the sun but the stares people would give him. He didn't understand why people would stare but it made him uncomfortable so he tried not to show his face unless it was to his family. They said he didn't look strange but what other reason could people have to stare? So, he would wear something that would cover his face or at least keep it in the shadows.

"Hurry up, JeJe! We need to find Misono!" Mikuni called to him and pulled him out of the house.

* * *

Licht walked into the theater and was surprised to hear the soft notes of a piano spill out of the door. From the stuttering melody of the notes, Licht knew that the person was inexperience and wondered who could be playing the piano. He walked to the piano and was shocked to find Hyde struggling to play the piano.

Hyde didn't hear Licht approach him and flipped through the book he bought. Beside him were more books and Licht skimmed the titles.  _Learn How to Play the Piano in a Week. How to Romance a Girl with the Piano. Love Songs you can Play on the Piano_. Licht picked up on of the books and that finally caught his attention.

"Licht? Wait, don't read that!" Hyde tried to take it back but Licht only hit him over the head with it.

"Are you trying to make fun of me or something? Don't try to play something like the piano if you're going to treat it with disrespect." Licht kicked Hyde off the seat. He sat on the chair and ran his finger over the keys. Hyde would always listen to him play but he never once tried to learn how. "What's with all these books, anyways?"

"Well I was thinking of how I can tell you that I love you and actually make you listen. I couldn't think of anything so I decided to use the language you speak, the piano. I was going to play a song for you on Christmas." Hyde admitted and slumped onto the chair next to Licht. The way Hyde pouted at Licht, he couldn't bring himself to kick him off the chair again.

"Like you can learn how to play well enough to win this angel's heart. Not even if you had a thousand years to do it. And you're going to get no where with books like these. You need to love music and learn using that." Licht told him and began to play a soft melody. "You'll never be able to play like this."

"Then how about you teach me?" Hyde's eyes sparkled and he took Licht's hand in his own. "I love you and that's almost like loving music, right? You can teach me how to play. It'll be less of a surprise but I'll play so well that you fall in love with me again. C'mon, teach me Lichtan! You can stand behind me and guide my hands like a scene in a movie."

"You really are an idiot." Licht grumbled and pushed Hyde away from him. He was leaning too close and Licht could feel a blush creeping up his neck. "We're already busy with this play so I can't waste time teaching you how to play the piano. Shouldn't you be practicing your lines anyways? Misono told me that he finished them last night."

"He didn't show up this morning. Lily said something about taking him on a treasure hunt to help him loosen up. Mahiru and Kuro went to bring them back before something happen. Mahiru said that our rehearsal will be moved to this afternoon but I stayed to learn how to play the piano." Hyde gestured to the books. "I'm guessing you didn't check your messages."

Hyde laughed to himself when Licht blushed. He didn't admit it but Hyde could see the truth written on his face. "At least we get to spend time together like the good old days. Maybe, after Misono gives me the completed script, you can help me practice. I've always been able to memorize my lines better when you help me. It's for the play."

"You've seemed to be able to memorize your lines well enough after you left me." Licht pointed out and the barbed words made Hyde flinch. Even though Licht meant for the words to hurt him, seeing him sad affected him more than he thought it would. "I'll help you practice but the minute you try anything, I'll kick you 'til your dead."

"Thank you, Angel!" Hyde beamed and hugged him. "We can practice together after rehearsals. And I'll find some way to repay you. Just you wait, I'll get the hang of playing this piano and tell you I love you."

"Are your ears just decoration or do you choose not to use them? I told you that I'm not going to fall for your tricks or fall in love with you again. I don't even know why I fell in love with you in the first place. Even now, you're using the same trick of reciting someone else's expression of love."

"Then what do you want me to do? I'll do it.  _Hear my soul speak. The very instant that I saw you did my heart fly to your service, there resides to make me slave to it, and for your sake am I this patient log-man_." Hyde begged for an answer that Licht didn't give him.

Licht stood and lowered the fallboard instead of answering him. "I'm going to help Mahiru find Misono."

"Wait, I'll help you! Please don't leave me." Hyde rushed to follow Licht. He was confident that learning how to play a love song for Licht would win him over. Why could he never find the right thing to say or the right way to express his feelings. The course of love never did run smooth.

Licht stopped at the door and looked over his shoulder at Hyde. "You'll really do anything?"

"Anything!" Hyde nodded with hope in his eyes.

"No more Shakespeare. I don't want to hear those lines anymore. I barely understand what you're trying to say when you use them anyways. And don't want you to try to talk with me through a piano either. Just talk to me like we used to." Licht's last sentence was only a whisper but it echoed in Hyde's heart. "Don't think I'm giving you a second chance. This is for the play and my sanity."

"Whatever you want, Lichtan!" Hyde jumped forward to hug Licht but he simple kicked him in his stomach. Hyde stood and rubbed his stomach. "Don't be so shy and let me hug you. No one's here."

"People seeing us isn't the problem. I just don't want a demon like you to hug me. Lets just go and find Misono so you can start practicing. Your brothers are the one that kidnapped him so did they tell you where they were going?" Licht asked and Hyde looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Lily said he wanted to clear up the issue with the chest so we can work together better without there being tension. You know how he is. He never really believed our dad or your mom took it." The tension between their families was the reason they kept their relationship a secret. Maybe if the play and finding the chest could bring their families together again, he would have a better chance with Licht.

With that in mind, Hyde took his hand and pulled Licht forward. "Let's go!"

* * *

"Let me get this straight. Your plan is to dig through dirt that's frozen stiff without knowing where the chest is exactly. You kidnapped me thinking that I know where it is despite  _no one_  knowing its location." Misono rubbed his temple.

"I told you he wouldn't know. I say we just find it ourselves instead of depending on this child." Hugh crossed his arms and Misono's brow twitched. The man was  _shorter_  than him. How dare he call him a child? "I know where the chest was buried so we don't need to depend on an Eve to help us."

"Then where is it?" Misono challenged and Hugh was silent for a moment.

"It's somewhere. Father always said he hid it somewhere between our two houses. They buried it in the forest so we just need to try digging it up. But knowing that doesn't change anything since it won't be where they buried it if your mother stole it. Who knows where she put those jewels." Hugh said and Misono's brows drew together.

"We don't know who stole it yet!" Lily came between them to stop them. "I know that this is all some big misunderstanding and neither of them took it. If we find the chest, we can prove it. We'll need everyone's help to find it. Isn't that right, Tetsu?"

"Look, even if what you say is true, you don't have a good plan to find it. How about we just focus on the play for now? The area between our houses has gone through a lot of renovations. Look at how much has changed. There's the new library and Tetsu's theater. There's no chance of us finding it now."

"I just wanted to get everyone to work together." Lily looked slightly disheartened. For the first time, Misono actually thought he looked like he was the youngest of the Servamps. He patted Lily's shoulder.

"You're trying to do something good but just think it through before you do something like this. We wasted an entire afternoon that we could've spent on the play. I'm sure everyone is worried so let's go back." Misono took out his phone. "I should text my brothers and tell them I'm okay."

Before Misono could start a text, he heard someone scream his name. He barely turned before he was tackled in a hug. The person was smothering him and Misono only knew one person that would treat him like a child. Mikuni held him at arm's length to check if he was hurt. "They didn't do anything to you, did they? Tell your brother and I'll beat them up for you."

"Can you act your age for once?" Misono screamed and tried to push Mikuni away but he was hugging him too tightly. "Mahiru, help me! Mikuni, I can't breathe!"

Mikuni felt someone pull him away from Misono. He threw a glare over his shoulder to see who the person was. He recognized him as the man that owned the theater. He looked perfectly calm but Mikuni knew that he was strong. "Misono said that he couldn't breathe."

"You okay, Misono?" Lily asked him and he nodded. When Tetsu saw that, he let go of Mikuni. Lily saw JeJe dragging himself behind Mikuni and he looked haggard. "What happened, JeJe?"

"We need better locks," was the only thing he said as he collapsed onto the ground. He had expended all his energy running after Mikuni after they went to the theater and found it empty.

"Let's go home, Misono. These commoners don't deserve to look at you. I'll protect you from their perverse stares. I'm just glad I found you before anything happened." Mikuni ranted but Misono rolled his eyes since he was used to his brother being overprotective. He was the oldest and Misono was the youngest. It didn't help that he sometimes had trouble with his health.

"I can take care of myself. And those people are a little strange but they're not perverse." Misono walked beside his brother but had to look over his shoulder to the Servamps. They were different from what he expected and he couldn't help but think of the implication.


	5. Chapter 5

"You're seriously going to pay for  _all_  the food?" World End was close enough to Hyde to know that his brother had something planned. When they were kids, they would play their fair number of pranks on their siblings together. But, similarly, Hyde knew him well the exact thing to use to bribe him. They were always close so he didn't know why Hyde wouldn't simple tell him what he was planning.

"Yeah. Just try to keep everyone away from the house for as long as possible on Friday. I'll make some excuse to why I can't go out with everyone so don't worry about me if I get sick. Can you send me a warning text when you're heading home too?" Hyde asked and he could tell that World End had more questions so quickly changed the topic. "You can go to that restaurant your girlfriend work at."

"Eva's not my girlfriend! She's just a friend!" World End denied with a blush and fumbled over his words like Hyde expected. "Anyways, she'll be cooking in the kitchen so I won't be able to talk to her. I'll take everyone to that all you can eat barbecue place downtown. That should be far enough for you to hide whatever you're going to do before we get home."

"Thank you, Wor-kun!" Hyde hugged his brother. He could always depend on World End to help him and was grateful. "Are you sure you don't want to go somewhere fancier? I really don't mind paying."

"Those places give you scraps and expect you to pay so much. I remember when you took us to one of those fancy restaurants to celebrate your first movie. I was still hungry but the end of it." World End clicked his tongue and Hyde laughed. Their conversation drifted away from his plan but it was still on Hyde's mind. He couldn't wait for Friday to be able to be with Licht alone.

* * *

" _I don't care if the world condemns me to Hell! I'm going home. Not because I'm a coward but because I am a man in love. I must return before it's too late and she marry another. Please understand, sergeant!_ " Hyde begged and Licht couldn't take his eyes off him. Even though he was reading the lines for the first time, he could portray the raw emotions in them.

"Should I be more defiant and stern faced or should I go with the desperate lover angle?" Hyde asked. Even though he was talented, he would always try to improve his acting. It didn't matter if he was in a small play or a movie, he wanted to give the best performance he could. "I could try both and see which one would persuade the sergeant more."

"We'll do that and go with the one you feel more natural doing." Mahiru told him. Hyde nodded and repeated the lines. It was the same lines but Licht was shocked with how Hyde could change them by simply changing the inflexion in his voice and his body language. He was the one and only in Licht's eyes whenever he was on stage because he commanded everyone's attention.

"I wrote the sergeant to be committed to his ideals and honour to a fault so a throwing a flowery speech won't sway him." Misono commented. "He's going to leave even after the sergeant says no."

"Then we should go for the determined lover angle." Lily said and Misono nodded. Misono was surprised that they were a surprisingly strong team. "Let's start again from the top of page eight."

" _I'm going— achoo_." Hyde sneezed and quickly apologized. "Sorry. I haven't been feeling well but I should be able to get through this rehearsal. And after resting tonight, I should be better for tomorrow."

"Are you okay, Hyde?" Kuro narrowed his eyes and Hyde became nervous. He might be a great actor but Kuro had taken care of him all his life. If there was anyone that could see through his act, it was his oldest brother. "We're supposed to go out and eat tonight. But if you're  _really_  sick, I'll stay home and take care of you. It's my responsibility as your brother so don't feel bad about making me miss the dinner."

 _He knows_ , was the only thing racing through Hyde's mind. He tried to think of something to say that would convince him to go to the dinner.

Luckily, World End came to his rescue by saying: "Hyde doesn't seem that sick so he can probably stay home by himself. You need to come to the dinner! My car doesn't fit everyone and it'll be a pain to take two trips so you need to drive the second car."

Kuro looked thoughtful for a moment but then nodded. Hyde let out the breath he was holding and smiled when World End threw him a triumphant grin at him. They went back to practicing their lines and Hyde made sure to appear sick throughout the rehearsal. He wanted to make sure that his plan would work and hopefully he could tell Licht why he left once they were alone.

Licht continued to play his piano, making sure to match the notes of the song to the beats of the plays. His music had to support Hyde's acting and doing so came surprisingly naturally to him. With every new emotion Hyde performed, Licht would change the tone of the song to enhance it. No matter how much he tried to deny it, Licht was painfully aware of Hyde.

Every time Hyde sneezed, Licht's fingers hesitated over the keys. He couldn't stop himself from giving a worried look over his shoulder to Hyde. Was the man really that stupid that he would go to their rehearsal despite being sick? Licht clicked his tongue and forced himself to concentrate on the music sheets. He needed to focus on the play and reminded himself to not let his feelings get in the way.

"Hyde, you should go home early if you're not feeling well." Mahiru was the one to speak up instead of Licht. "Thinking simply, you need your rest more than practice. We can practice the parts that doesn't include the male lead for today. Get better, okay Hyde?"

"I'll take him home and I'll come back to pick everyone up for dinner." World End volunteered before any of their other siblings could. They both knew that Hyde could only trick his siblings for so long.

Licht watched Hyde leave. For a moment, he thought he would finally be able to concentrate without Hyde invading his thoughts. But he found that he was equally aware of the lack of his presence as he was to Hyde being right next to him. Even with his piano before him, he felt as if there was something missing from his performance.

His phone rang and Licht saw that it was a text from Hyde but he didn't read it. They were supposed to meet after rehearsal was over to practice his lines so he assumed the text was to tell him not to come to his house. Licht shouldn't have been disappointed but he found that he was.

"You okay, Licht?" Mahiru asked him when the rehearsal was almost over. He could say why but he Licht seemed troubled about something. "Your playing was really good but you looked a little stiff. If there's anything on your mind, you can talk to me."

"You don't need to worry about an angel like me. I'll work it out myself." Licht assured him. Mahiru was the second youngest but would always try to take care of his siblings as if he were the oldest. He was grateful to Mahiru but he couldn't tell him what was on his mind so said instead: "I'll work it out on my own, don't worry."

* * *

"I'm going home early. I just remembered that I need to talk to my manager about something." Licht told Mahiru and stood. Mahiru nodded briefly to him before he went back to directing the play. He hated to lie to his brother but he found that he couldn't focus.

Licht intended to walk home and practice the song on his own piano. The theater had too many memories and he would be able to escape them in his own home. But he found himself walking in the opposite direction of his home. His body moved on its own while he was lost in thought. Eventually, he was standing in front of the Servamp's home with a bag from the drug store.

"I must be going crazy." Licht whispered to himself. He reminded himself of all the reasons he couldn't let himself have feelings for Hyde again. His eyes drifted to the small garden in front of the house and knew that there was a spare key hidden in it. He would always use it to visit Hyde when they were in high school. Should he use it again?

"You're finally here, Lichtan!" Licht wasn't able to make that choice before the door was thrown open. Hyde was standing in the doorway with an eager and relieved smile on his face. He took Licht's hand and pulled him into the house. "I thought you forgot about our little date. I tried texting you but you never got back to me. You really need to get better at replying to your messages."

Licht could only stare at Hyde in confusion. He didn't appear to be sick in the slightest! Hyde went into the kitchen before Licht could reply and he was left alone in the living room. "I bought a melon earlier. I thought we could have it as a snack as we're going over the script together. Go up to my room while I cut it."

 _I really hate you and how you know me_ , Licht thought to himself. He looked down at the bag in his hands. He had bought canned soup and medicine from the drug store but it was obvious that he was only pretending to be sick earlier. And Licht fell for his act. Swearing beneath his breathe, he kicked the bag into a corner. He was angry at the deception but there was also a hint of relief in his heart.

Trying to run from his feelings, Licht walked up the stairs and walk into Hyde's room. It hadn't changed and Licht was flooded with memories. There were posters on the wall and scripts littered the ground. Hyde had never been an organized person and tended to hoard things. He always said that everything he kept had an important memory to him so he couldn't throw them away.

Something caught Licht's eyes and he sat in front of Hyde's laptop. A picture from when they were dating was the background. Next to the laptop were several CDs and Licht recognized them. They were music he published before and after they broke up.

"It's not good to snoop through people's things, Lichtan. An angel should know better." Licht stood and turned to see Hyde walking into the room. He placed a plate of melons on the table and tilted a teasing smile to him. "I'll forgive you if you give me a kiss or something like that."

"You really have a death wish, don't you?" Licht growled and kicked Hyde. He only laughed and went to clear his things off the table so they would have more room. He took the CDs and placed them in his drawer. He treated them as if they were something fragile as he carefully put them away. Licht couldn't stop himself from commenting. "You bought my CDs."

"I'm your biggest fan so I buy every single one. I really wanted to see one of your concerts in person but I never had time. But I get to see you play whenever I want now that we're both home. I never stopped thinking about you. And you still care about me, don't you?" Any rebuttal Licht had was silenced when Hyde pulled out the shopping bag from behind him.

"Where did you find that?" Licht tried to take it back but Hyde quickly placed it behind him again.

"Did my Angel actually think I was sick and came to take care of me?" Licht could tell that Hyde already knew the answer from his teasing tone. He blushed and tried to hide it but Hyde chuckled. "I wish I was actually sick. I would get to be spoiled by you and you can kiss me better."

"That's for when you're hurt, not sick, idiot." Licht gave up on taking the bag back and sat back. He took a slice of the melon and ate it to console himself. Hyde always seemed to find a way to provoke his feelings. "I just didn't want you to ruin the play if you were actually sick. Don't look too much into it. Now let's practice your lines like you said we would."

"Sure." Hyde relented with a small sigh. The disappointment was clear in his eyes. He found the bag and knew that Licht must've brought it for him. He thought that it meant that Licht still loved him and cared for him. But it was clear from Licht's glare that his stance on their relationship hadn't changed. "I have another copy of the script somewhere here that you can use."

"I brought one of my own. I doubt we could find anything in this mess of yours." Licht took one out of his bag. "Which scene do you want to go over first?"

"How about the last scene where I win back the girl?" Hyde suggested.

"How about the scene where he gravels for forgiveness and licks her boots but she still rejects him?" Licht threw a glare at him. To his surprise, Hyde burst out into laughter and turn the pages of the script. "Wait, I didn't mean it! What's wrong with you? Are you a masochist or something? Look, I'll help you but I'm not going to read any lines from the girl."

"Why not?"

"Because I know you. You're going to try turn this into some sappy, romantic scene out of a movie. I'm not going to fall for your tricks anymore. I'll play any other character but her." Licht said sternly and Hyde felt deflated. He wanted to create a romantic moment for them and then tell him why he left. But he refused to give up on Licht.

"How about the scene where I run into that family on the trip home?" Licht nodded at Hyde's suggestion.

* * *

"Misono, it's time to go home." Mahiru called but no one replied. He looked worriedly at his watch and wondered how he could've lost track of time. Misono had a habit of promptly falling asleep at ten and nothing could wake him up until the morning. He lost track of Misono when he said that he was going to look over the script with Lily again. "Where did they go?"

"Where did who go?" Tetsu asked and Mahiru told him he couldn't find Misono. He looked thoughtful for a moment before wondering off and Mahiru sighed. While Tetsu was dependable, he didn't know what was going through his mind sometimes. Mahiru went back to looking for Misono.

Tetsu climbed the ladder to the bridge. Like he expected, he found Lily and Misono. But Misono was fast asleep on Lily's shoulder. Lily saw him climb onto the bridge and quickly said, "He just passed out and I couldn't wake him. Honestly, I didn't want to wake him because he looks so happy right now. I'm just worried that I'll drop him if I try to carry him down."

"I'll do it." Tetsu turned his back to them and patted his shoulders. Lily gently placed Misono on his back and Tetsu held him securely. He stood and that small movement made Misono wrap his arms tighter around Tetsu. Looking down at Misono, Tetsu felt his soft hair brush his cheek. Throughout the play, he was stern and Tetsu was surprised that Misono could make such a serene expression.

"Tetsu?" Lily's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "I'm going to climb down first so I can catch Misono if he accidentally slips."

"Alright," Tetsu followed Lily down the ladder but made sure not to loosen his hold on Misono. He was sleeping so deeply and Tetsu wondered how Mahiru would take him home. Mahiru wasn't strong enough to carry him on his own. Mikuni was working late at his antic store and Licht left early. "Maybe I should carry him all the way home."

* * *

They read through the lines but Licht was rather stiff. Hyde didn't know if it was because he wasn't used to line reading or something else. Hyde tried to focus on the performance but he couldn't put his heart in the lines when he wanted nothing more than to close the distance between him and Licht.

" _I'm a fool for leaving her. I choose my duty to my country over my duty to her. Looking back on it now, I could've had both but I was a fool. She said she would wait for me and I broke her heart by telling her that I didn't want her to do so._ " Hyde's voice echoed so much sorrow and regret. Licht had to wonder if he was channeling his own feelings or memories.

" _But the only thing I can do is crawl back to her and ask for a second chance that I don't deserve. If she forgives me, we can be a family like you. But if she doesn't, I will live my life with that regret. I only have one chance to win her back so what should I do?_ " Hyde asked and leaned closer to Licht. Neither of them knew if it was because of the play or his own desire.

" _I don't know how to answer you. The heart is a complicated thing_." Licht answered and something compelled his body to lean closer to Hyde. Maybe it was out of habit. How many hours had he spent with Hyde and practice his lines together like they were doing now? "Hyde, I—"

"We're home, Hyde!" They both jumped when they heard the front door slammed open. World End's voice boomed through the house as he yelled. "Wait, Kuro, don't go up to check on Hyde. Why? Well, he's probably asleep and you'll wake him up. Aren't you the one that always complain when people interrupt your cat naps? Kuro!"

Hyde rushed to turn off the lights and he could hear Kuro walking up the steps. Licht started to climb out the window but stopped when he saw that Lily was smoking in the driveway. If he left now, he would be caught. He searched for somewhere to hide but the closest was too messy and overflowing with things so he couldn't hide in there.

"Get under the covers!" Licht could barely react before Hyde grabbed his arm and pulled him to the bed. He hugged Licht to his chest and pulled his blanket over them. Licht could hear both of their heartbeats but also the sound of a door opening. He could feel Hyde's warmth surround him.

"Is that you, Kuro? Don't turn on the lights. It'll be too bright." Hyde said in a groggy voice. Luckily, Kuro didn't turn on the lights and stayed in the doorway.

"I was a little worried that you were practicing your lines instead of resting." Kuro told him with a relieved smile. It was small but Hyde could see it. "We stopped by a soup place and bought some for you. You can heat it up in the morning."

"Thanks Kuro." Hyde said and coughed slightly. Kuro didn't answer and nodded to him instead. He closed the door and they listened for Kuro's receding footsteps. Hyde let out the breath he was holding when he heard Kuro's door close. He loosened his grip on Licht and sat up. "Well, wasn't that a scare?"

"What were you thinking?" Licht whispered harshly and kicked Hyde off the bed. "I should kill you."

"C'mon Lichtan, that was an emergency. Don't be mad at me." Hyde whispered back. Licht went to the window and was glad that Lily wasn't outside anymore. There was a wooden pergola outside of Hyde's window and they used it often when they were dating. As he was stepping outside, Hyde grabbed his hand. Their eyes met and Licht couldn't pull himself away from his crimson gaze.

"Can I see you again? To practice my lines with you again." Hyde's eyes begged him and Licht knew he should say no. "Please, Licht?"

"Tomorrow, I'll stay after rehearsal to practice with the piano." Licht answered and pulled away from him. Hyde stood in front of the window even after Licht slipped his hand from his. He watched Licht leave until he couldn't see him any more.


	6. Chapter 6

"Mahiru, can you make me a cup of coffee?" Misono walked into the kitchen half asleep. He was barely aware of his surrounding and only went through the motion of making himself breakfast. Even though it had been a while since he been home, it hadn't changed much from his childhood. "Did Mikuni leave for work yet? I should thank him for taking me home."

"Here's your coffee, Chibi." Someone handed him a cup and Misono turned to thank him. He almost dropped the cup when he realized that it wasn't Mahiru that handed it to him. Tetsu stood over him and Misono started to scream but Tetsu placed a hand over his mouth. With an even voice, he said: "I think everyone else's still asleep. You shouldn't wake them."

"That's not the issue here! Why are you here? How did you get in here?" Misono fumbled over questions.

"Oh, you're both awake already." Mahiru walked into the kitchen and saw Misono confused expression so he quickly explained. "You fell asleep in the theater. Tetsu was kind enough to carry you home. It was late when we got home and he was tired. Thinking simply, I had to offer him our couch."

"Wait, you were the one that brought me home?" Misono asked and Tetsu nodded. When he woke in his own bed, he assumed that he had fallen asleep in the theater and it was Mikuni who brought him home. Even though Tetsu didn't appear to think much of it, Misono couldn't stop himself from blushing. He hated letting anyone see his weaknesses and childish habits.

"Don't you dare say a word about that to anyone!" Misono ordered. Tetsu tilted his head to the side and looked down at Misono's flushed face. He had so many expression and Tetsu found himself wanting to see more. "Don't treat me like a child just because you're older than me."

"Actually, Tetsu is younger than both of us." Mahiru told Misono with a light laugh. Misono looked from Tetsu to Mahiru with a bewildered expression. He reacted like Mahiru thought he would. Tetsu was tall for his age and many people thought he was older than he was. "I was surprised when I found out too. Don't be sad, Misono, I'll make you whatever you want for breakfast."

"Life is cruel." Misono muttered to himself as he sank into a chair. He already made himself a humble bowl of cereal so Mahiru's offer was pointless. Misono pushed the large stake of pancakes to Tetsu. If he couldn't ear it, someone else should. Tetsu thanked him and didn't waste time piling it with fruits and syrup. Misono asked, "Where's Licht? He usually up earlier than us to play his piano."

"He came home pretty late so he's probably still asleep. He looked like he had a lot on his mind so I thought I should let him rest and ask him about it later. Do you know what might be on his mind?" Mahiru asked and Misono shook his head. He sighed and turned to start making pancakes for everyone. "I really wish he would depend on us more."

"He's just lovesick." Tetsu answered when he saw the worried expression they had. They both turned to him with a shocked expression and Tetsu wondered if they didn't know the truth. He was young then but he could remember how Licht would always meet Hyde outside his theater. Even someone as oblivious as Tetsu could guess the reason. "I think it'll be okay. Just give him time."

"Licht's in love? With who?" Misono demanded an answer from Tetsu.

"Have you ever tried adding fruits to cereal? My mother would always cut strawberries into mine when I was a kid. Try it." Tetsu changed the topic and spooned some of his strawberries into Misono's bowl. While he knew about Licht and Hyde's past relationship, it wasn't his place to tell anyone about it.

"It's good. Give me another one." Misono ordered and Mahiru smiled at the pair. Misono never had many chances to make friends when he was younger because he was sick often. So, he was a little socially awkward. But Tetsu didn't seem to mind as he gave him another strawberry. Misono thought that he would place it in his bowl again but, instead, Tetsu held it to his mouth.

"What are you trying to feed my dear brother?" Mikuni came between them. He knocked away the fork and hugged Misono protectively. "Why are looking at my dear brother with such lewd eyes? What are your intentions with him? I'll have you know that my precious brother is much too good for some overgrown child like yourself. I don't know how you got into this house but-"

"Is that a doll?" Tetsu seemed oblivious to Mikuni's ranting. The doll on his shoulder caught his eyes and he plucked it off Mikuni's shoulder so he could look closer at it. Misono and Mahiru couldn't stop him before Tetsu began to fiddle with her dress. "Dolls these days are made of plastic so is this an antique from your shop? Hugh said you sell a lot of strange things there."

"First you try to take my dear brother and now you're defiling Abel? Don't be rough with her, you thug! Abel is still innocent!" Mahiru sighed as their breakfast soon turned into a spectacle.

"Why is everyone so noisy in the morning? I can barely hear myself playing." Licht came into the kitchen and Mahiru handed him a plate of fluffy pancakes. He loved Mahiru's cooking but he found it difficult to taste the pancakes. He barely slept the previous mind because he couldn't stop thinking about Hyde.

"Mikuni, can you stop? I'm old enough to take care of myself." Misono pushed Mikuni and Tetsu apart.

"I'm sorry about that, Tetsu. Mikuni's a little… eccentric." Mahiru apologized with a weary smile. He was used to how loud and quirky his brothers could be but others could easily be overwhelmed by them. Surprisingly, Tetsu looked calm as he shrugged.

"It's okay. It just shows how close you all are." Tetsu was an only child but he could see how much they loved each other. He would eat meals with the Servamps often and enjoyed how close they were. It seemed they shared that trait with the Eves so he wondered why there was still bad blood between them when they were surprisingly similar.

Licht's phone rang and he was surprised to find that it was a text from Hyde. He placed his phone under the table and tried to read the message as discretely as possible.  _Good morning, Angel-chan! I got your number from Lily and I'm going to send you a thousand more love notes like this. See you after practise. I can't wait!_

A torrent of hearts and emoticons followed the short message. While Licht read the message again, he couldn't help but think of when they dated in high school. Hyde would always send him pointless messages throughout the day. Licht would always complain that he sent him messages at the worst time but he honestly looked forward to them.

Licht pushed aside those memories and texted him back.  _You better not try any of your tricks. We're only going to practise. I swear if you try a stunt like last night, I'll kill you._

* * *

"You're smiling awfully wide. What are you looking at?" Lily asked and Hyde quickly turned off his phone. He hoped that Lily didn't see his text as he placed it in his pocket. "Is that a text from your manager? Are you sure that performing for our play isn't too much trouble?"

"Don't worry about it, Lily. I told you that it's okay and I want to help you. The text was from an angel," Hyde had to smile to himself when he thought of the text. It was short and curt but the fact that Licht replied made him happy. In the past, Hyde would try to call or message him but Licht would always reject his calls. "I have a date with him after tonight's rehearsal."

"An angel? Do you mean that guy you dated in high school? Are you guys back together?" Lily's eyes sparkled. In high school, he had told them that he was dating someone but never told them who. Lily could still remember the pain in Hyde's eyes when he told them his angel left him so he was glad to see hope in his eyes again.

"Why didn't you tell me you got back with your angel?" World End gasped and Hyde chuckled at his exaggerated reaction. They were walking to the theater but his siblings made the mundane task enjoyable. "Was he a part of your plan last night? If I knew, I would've brought everyone to a restaurant outside of town and gave you more time with him!"

"Wor-kun!" Hyde quickly tried to cover his brother's mouth but the words were already spoken. He looked nervously to his others siblings but they didn't look too surprise or offended.

"We guessed you were up to something already," Kuro told him. "World End isn't the most subtle person in the world so it was obvious he was trying to hide something. Next time, just tell us you want the house to yourself instead of going through that nonsense."

"No need for the big brother speech, Kuro. I want to know more about this angel! Did you win him back? You said you had a date with him tonight. What did you do to win him back? Do we finally get to meet him? Tell me everything!" Lily peppered him questions and leaned towards him for the answer.

"Well, I haven't won him back officially but he said he'll help me practice with my script. I'm going to meet him at the library afterwards," Hyde added in case any of siblings wanted to spy on him. Looking at their eager faces, he knew that a few of them were considering it.

"Well, I'll be cheering for you. If you treat him with respect, everything should go well." Wrath told him.

"I have a great idea!" Lily said with a proud smile. "The orphanage we're doing the play for is also holding a small party later this week but they need more volunteers. How about you bring your angel? It'll show him that you're really kind."

"I should! Thanks for the idea, Lily!" Hyde was already thinking of how he would invite Licht.

* * *

"I can't believe you got Mahiru to drag me here." Licht grumbled. He stubbornly crossed his arms and his glare told him that he was far from happy. Hyde knew that Licht wouldn't accept his invitation so he suggested to Mahiru that everyone involved in the play should volunteer. "The only party I want to go to with you is your funeral. I know that this is just some trick."

"C'mon, Lichtan, this is for a good cause. This party is supposed to make those kids happy." Hyde said as he carefully made another snowflake for decoration. While there was still a few weeks until Christmas, Lily wanted to hold a party for the orphans. "Remember when we made set pieces for the play?"

"No. I remember you being useless and me having to make everything by myself. All you did was sit there and distracted me." Licht corrected him and Hyde laughed at his brisk answer. Even though his voice was hard, the memory gave him mixed emotions. Back then, he was annoyed that Hyde didn't help him much when making the sets but enjoyed his company.

Now, it was the opposite. Hyde was diligently making snowflakes but there was a tense atmosphere between them. He thought that spending more time with Licht outside of the play would help him win him back. But he didn't want to give up on their love and tried once again. "Look at these snowflakes!"

"They look like tumbleweeds. Now these are snowflakes." Licht unfolded his construction paper and revealed the complicated designs he made. When Hyde complimented them, Licht only smiled proudly. "Snowflakes are pure so an angel as myself will have no trouble replicating them."

"You're an angel?" Licht and Hyde looked up from their snowflakes to see a little girl peering at them. She was standing on the other side of the table and staring at them with a curious expression. "But you don't look like an angel."

"He is an angel! Don't let his dark expression trick you for he is, in fact, the last angel on earth. Just bask in his heavenly light and you will not be able to question his angelic qualities!" Hyde boasted in an enthusiastic voice and the girl's eyes widened. She was in awe as Hyde went on and on about Licht. "In fact, God sent him to us to bless us with angelic music."

"Are you going to play the piano for Lily's play? He told me about it! I can't wait to hear an actual angel play for us." The girl couldn't contain her excitement and bounced on her feet. "I get my first Christmas wish early! I asked Santa for an angel. I really want to thank him but Lily said that Santa is busy making presents to visit us this year."

Hearing the sadness in her voice, Hyde stood. He grabbed Licht's hand and began to pull him away. He shouted over his shoulder to the little girl. "Don't worry, kid, we're going to bring Santa."


	7. Chapter 7

"What's taking that guy so long?" Licht sighed. Hyde had brought him to the theater and told him to wait in the dressing room. He didn't know why he was waiting for him. The last time he did, Hyde left him and that day should've taught Licht not to trust him. He considered returning to the orphanage for a moment but then the door flew open.

"You stayed?" Hyde came crashing in and he looked shocked that Licht stayed. He had rushed to the store since he didn't want to risk Licht leaving while he was gone. Honestly, Licht was surprised he waited as well. A relieved smile over took Hyde's face as he threw a shopping bag at Licht. "Put this on! The kids will love it."

"If this is some game, I'll—" Licht opened the bag and he was surprised to find an angel costume inside.

"I was going to get you an elf costume but I saw that and I couldn't resist. Now get changed so we can get back and surprise those kids." Hyde took out a Santa Claus costume from his own bag and Licht could guess his intention easily. He was going to pretend to be the character for the children.

Hyde shrugged off his jacket and Licht quickly turned around since it was obvious he wasn't going to another room to change. Licht kicked him and screamed, "Don't just take off your clothes like a pervert! I thought Lily was the one that randomly takes off his clothes."

"C'mon, Lichtan. After everything we've done, you shouldn't be so shy." Hyde chuckled when Licht threw him a glare like he expected. "Don't be like that. We're doing something nice for those kids."

"Fine," Licht walked behind the changing screen and looked down at the angel costume. He was glad that it was modest and didn't seem to be one of his pranks. "I'll wear your stupid costume but only to make those children happy. This isn't for you."

"You were never one for costumes unless you have to wear that monkey suit for your piano performances. Remember when I dressed myself up as your birthday present?" Hyde asked in a teasing voice and Licht rolled his eyes.

"You snuck into my room and almost got yourself caught by my brother that night. I don't even know where you got such a gaudy angel costume or why you thought a demon like yourself had the right to wear it. What were you even thinking that night?" Licht said as he wrapped the toga around his body and pinned it into place.

"I was thinking that it was Christmas Eve and your birthday. You're supposed to spend those holidays with the people you love so it only makes sense for me to spend it with you. I knew you would be spending your birthday with your family so I went to see you after everyone fell asleep. I wish I knew that Misono still believed in Santa then and wanted you to stay up with him to catch him."

"Don't make fun of my brother." Licht told him sternly but he could still remember that night clearly. He went up to his room to bring down blankets but found Hyde asleep in his bed wearing the silly costume. Misono almost saw him but he luckily able to hide him. After that, they spent Christmas morning together, walking through the town despite nothing being open at one in the morning.

At that time, Licht only needed Hyde beside him to be happy. Licht shook himself and pushed those memories away. Those moments were overshadowed by the memory of Hyde leaving him. He walked out and was glad to see that Hyde was finished changing. Hyde smiled at him and made a silly pose. "So, how do I look? Do you think the kids will like it?"

"I think they'll see through you in a minute. Santa Clause is supposed to be fat and full of cookies and joy." Licht pointed out and he nodded in response. He took a pillow and tried to stuff the suit with it. The sight was so silly that Licht couldn't stop himself from laughing. Licht took the pillow from him and gently hit him with it. "You're such an idiot."

"But I can still be a dependable Santa." Hyde looked down at Licht as he secured the pillow around his waist with a belt. When he was finished, he stepped back and straightened his red suit. "Even if this costume isn't the best, my acting should be enough to make those kids believe that I'm Santa and you're my angel. Lets head back now. Wait, I almost forgot something!"

As Licht was about to walk outside, Hyde stopped him by taking his arm gently. Hyde took his jacket and placed it around Licht's shoulder as best he could without bending his wings. "It's cold outside so borrow my jacket. I can't let an angel get sick and miss the play or rehearsal. But if you do get sick, I'll come to your house and take care of you."

"You'll probably make my cold worse if you try to take care of me." Licht turned away from him but he put on the jacket Hyde gave him. His wings weren't large so he didn't have to worry about bending them. As he pulled it tighter around him, he could smell Hyde's subtle scent. It was warm and nostalgic but Licht told himself not to focus on it. "Lets just get back to the kids."

* * *

"This is why I hate kids," Kuro groaned when he found a corner to hide in. Throughout the party, the kids had been chasing him and asking for rides. He didn't know why but kids naturally liked him and he could only guess it was because his jacket resembled a lion slightly.

He looked down at his watch and wondered how long the party would last. He was never one to involve himself in social events but he was glad that his siblings seem to be having fun. Kuro watched the party from a distance and found himself drifting off as his mind wondered. One of the kids broke away from the party and approached him.

"Lily says you give the best rides! Can't I have one?" Kuro groaned to himself as the boy raised his hands out to him. When his siblings were younger, he would always give them rides and looking down at the boy reminded him of those simpler times. While children seemed to like him, Kuro was hesitant with them because they were so fragile. "Please?"

"How troublesome." Kuro grumbled but stood. He lifted the small boy onto his shoulders and instructed him to hold onto him. He held onto the boy's hand securely and carried him back to the party, hoping to hand him off to Lily. While Lily was the youngest, he was always to best with children.

"Take me to the cookies!" The boy instructed and Kuro changed his path with a sigh. He hoped that the trip to the snack table would be a quick detour before going to Lily. When he reached the table, he found Mahiru placing a tray of fresh cookies down.

"Looks like you made a new friend." Mahiru smiled at Kuro and the boy. He was a little surprised to see Kuro with the child but he had to admit that it was a charming picture. The boy couldn't look happier while Kuro looked exasperated at best. Taking pity on him, Mahiru took the child off his shoulder. Then he handed the boy a plate of cookies. "Go and share these with your friends."

"Thank you Mahiru!" The boy smiled and ran off.

"It was nice of you to play with the kids. You're really good with them. I'm guessing that it's because you have so many siblings." Mahiru smiled up at him and Kuro scratched his cheek, nervously, as he tried to think of a reply. The atmosphere became tense so Mahiru tried to change the subject by gesturing to the snack table. "Here, take some. I just made them."

"You made these?" Kuro took a bite of a cookie and found the simple and delicate taste pleasing. There didn't seem to be anything special about the cookie but he liked it. "You know, these are pretty good. If you were a girl, you'll make a pretty good housewife."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Mahiru remembered that Kuro called him a housewife once before and blushed. He didn't know if Kuro meant it was an insult or not because there was a small, content smile on his face as he ate. Kuro was different from what he expected. Throughout the play, Kuro was unmotivated to do anything so he didn't expect him to let a kid ride on his shoulders.

"Mahiru, you volunteer here a lot, right?" Kuro asked and Mahiru nodded. "Are any of the new volunteer here an angel? My brother was supposed to invite someone but I don't see him with anyone. My brother's trying to trying to get this guy to date him again. The only thing I know about him is that he's an angel."

"I don't see any new volunteers here. But an angel?" Mahiru scanned the crowd with a thoughtful look. Usually, Kuro wouldn't involve himself in his sibling's personal lives but he had to admit he was curious about the person Hyde liked. He could still remember how hurt Hyde would look whenever he talked about his angel. This time, Kuro wanted to help him be happy with his angel.

"Everyone here is pretty nice so I don't know if I can point out anyone in particular with just that description. But if Licht hears this, he'll be angry that someone is claiming to be an angel. He'll probably challenge them for that title." Mahiru laughed to himself. "This might sound strange but he believes he's an angel."

"That violent guy?" An angel was the furthest thing he would call the man. He had to stop his and Hyde's fights more than once. "Why would he think that?"

"I guess that's our mother's influence. She would always call him an angel sent from heaven. I remember after she died, he would try to climb trees to reach heaven and— I'm sorry, you probably don't care about my stories." Mahiru cut himself off. Kuro was a surprisingly good listener and Mahiru found himself telling him more than he intended.

"It's okay." Kuro said. He found Mahiru's company enjoyable. "If Licht's the angel, then what are you?"

"Me? Well, I'm nothing special. Mikuni's the oldest and Misono's the baby of the family. I'm probably the normal one in my family." Kuro wondered if Mahiru was trying to be humble or if he truly thought of himself like that. "But it keeps things simple and grounded so I'm okay with it."

"Can you call yourself simple? Straightforward and bossy, you are, but not simple. If you were simple minded, I would've thought of a way to get out of all the work you're making me do for the play." Kuro said, shocking Mahiru. Throughout his life, he had always lived by a philosophy of keeping things simple. "But you're not complicated in a bad way either."

"Wait, you say that I'm not simple but I'm not complicated either? That makes no sense at all." Mahiru pointed out. Kuro's expression didn't give him any hint about what he meant so Mahiru had to ask, "What do you think about me?"

"I don't know. All this thinking is too tiring for me. I've never talked to someone outside my family so much so I didn't know it'll take up this much energy. I need to go and sleep somewhere," Kuro stood and stretched. "If Lily ask where I went, tell him I'm went home a little early.

Mahiru stood as well and chased him while chastising him. "Wait, you can't just ditch work! You need to help clean up after the party is over. Don't you dare ignore me, Kuro!"

* * *

"It's Santa!" The children ran up to Hyde when they saw him in his costume. They surrounded him and he smiled down at their excitement. Even though he was playing the part of Santa, Licht knew that smile was genuine and a buried part of him wanted him to direct it at him. "I thought Lily said that you were too busy to come visit us!"

"I was busy finding an angel for a very special girl but here he is!" Hyde deepened his voice to disguise his voice. He gestured to Licht and held out his hand to him. Then he took a large bag off his shoulder and opened so that the kids could see the toys within. He bought them on his way to orphanage so he didn't have time to wrap them but the children were too happy to notice.

"There should be enough for everyone so take one! And my angel will play you all a special song. You guys got a piano around here?" Hyde asked and the nodded. The children led them to the old piano in the waiting room and Licht sat in front of him. As the children were picking a toy from Hyde's bag, Licht played a few cords and was glad that the piano was tuned already.

"I'll ask Lily for some music sheets so you can play!" One of the children noticed him playing and started to leave but Hyde stopped him.

"An Angel doesn't need music sheets when the music's in his heart. He can play any Christmas carol or song you want." Hyde boasted with a proud grin. Licht could play a lot of Christmas songs from memory because Misono would often ask him to play them. It has a small, inconsequential fact that he told Hyde but he never thought he remembered.

"I'll play  _We Wish You a Merry Christmas_  first." Licht decided after all the children screamed their requests. It was an upbeat song and he was certain the children would all know the lyrics. His fingers danced over the keys and Hyde began to sing along. He was horrendously off key but the enthusiasm in his voice spurred the children to sing with him.

"Hearing an angel sing is something special, isn't it?" Hyde asked and Licht rolled his eyes because his teasing was so transparent. But he went on playing and began to lose himself in the music. The thing the drew him out, the only thing that could, was Hyde's heat on is back. He wrapped his arm around him and leaned heavily against him.

When Licht would've pushed him away, he realized that Hyde's body was much warmer than usual. He looked over his shoulder and saw that Hyde was sweating slightly. He realized that he must've been overheating in the Santa suit.

"Look it's snowing. How about we go out to play?" Licht stood from the piano and gestured to the window. He was glad that they agreed readily and ran outside. While Licht wanted to tell himself that he wanted to go out and play, he knew the true reason was that the suit wouldn't bother Hyde once they were outside. Hyde looked relieved at his words but he didn't know if he could read his thoughts.

The cold breeze that washed over Hyde when he walked outside felt like heaven to him. He breathed in the crisp air and regained some of his strength. He wore costumes for the plays and movies he had been in but none of them threatened to kill him like the Santa suit. He tried to stay in character for the sake of the children and was relieved when he heard Licht suggest they go outside to play.

Licht was making a snowman with the children and the sight made Hyde smile. It looked so natural and right to have Licht smiling before him. He only wished he was the reason Licht was smiling. He couldn't help but feel jealous and wanted Licht's attention to himself. So, he began to make a small snow ball.

"Look, there's Mr. Bunny!" Hyde screamed and Licht quickly turned around only to stagger back when a snowball hit him. As Licht wiped the snow off his face, Hyde was trying to stifle his laugh but ultimately laughed when he saw his expression. Licht quickly made a snowball but Hyde turned to the children. "You'll help Santa in this snowball war, won't you?"

"As if they'll side with a demon when they're in the presence of an angel. Come, little angels, and help me defeat that demon." Licht tried to sway the kids to fight with him. The children divided into two camps and their friendly war began.

Hyde ran behind the orphanage and Licht was quick to chase him, throwing snowballs at his back as he did so. He only stopped to make another snowball. Hyde made sure not to run too far so Licht wouldn't lose sight of him and continue to chase him. He looked over his shoulder and saw that Licht was once again making another and Hyde throw his snowball to provoke him further.

"That's it!" Licht stood and Hyde wondered if he went too far when he saw how angry he was. He ran forward and kicked Hyde into the snow. He couldn't dodge Licht and fell onto his back with Licht straddling him. Licht raised a snowball, ready to hit him and Hyde quickly raised his hands in surrender.

"Wait, Lichtan, I give up! Spare me!" Hyde knew that Licht was too angry to hear his words so. So, he wrapped his arms around Licht's waist and turned them such that he was beneath him. "Now this is much better. How about a truce to our war?"

"Not on your life, Shit Rat." Licht crushed the snowball on the back of Hyde's neck. The snow melted and Hyde could feel it flowing down his neck. He jumped at the cold sensation and Licht pushed him off. He brushed the snow off his jacket as he stood and said, "That's what you get for trying something like that with an angel."

"That was cold, Lichtan!" Hyde tried to wipe the water from his neck before the cold air could worsen it. Though the snow was cold, it was nothing compared to Licht's eyes and he had to turn away from it. No matter what he did, it seemed to fail. Then he felt a scarf being draped over his face and covered his eyes for a moment.

"Use that to warm your neck so you won't cause the play any trouble by getting sick. It's also to pay you back for lending me your jacket earlier so don't think that this means anything changed." Licht told him but couldn't face Hyde as he did so.

"It smells like you," Hyde smiled to himself as he wrapped the scarf more securely around his neck. Then he began to gather snow in his hand and Licht thought he was going to make another snowball. Hyde must've read his thoughts because he said, "I'm going to make you something special."

"This better not be another trick." Licht had to admit that he was curious about what he was making. He was digging through the snow for something. Hyde made sure to keep his back to Licht so he wouldn't be able to see what he was doing. Finally, Hyde turned around and held out a small bunny made of snow. He used small rocks for eyes and leaves for ears. "Mr. Bunny?"

"Isn't he cute?" Hyde smiled and when Licht took the small bunny from him. The delight in Licht's eyes was something only he could see at the moment, in their private haven. "It's just a shame that he'll melt eventually."

"He won't if I keep him in the freezer." Licht held the snow bunny gently in his hands and smiled to himself. It was a small gift that couldn't last long and Licht couldn't help but compare it to Hyde's love. Once the play was over, they would go back to their lives. That was what he originally wanted. That should still be what he wanted.

But the heart was a fickle thing.


	8. Chapter 8

Hyde checked his messages but found himself disappointed again. He closed his eyes and remembered Licht's gentle smile when he looked down at the small snow bunny. Licht also said that he was going to keep it so he thought things were changing between them for the better. But he hadn't replied to any of his messages or calls since that day and three days had already passed.

Every time he thought they were becoming closer, Licht would push him away. He sighed and stared at his phone's wallpaper. It was a picture of them when they were younger. Those times seemed so far away now and he wondered if they could be together again or if he broke too many promises to be able too. Hyde tried to explain why he left but Licht said that knowing wouldn't change anything.

He was beginning to wonder if he was right. That night, Hyde left thinking that it would be best for both of them. He had every intention of returning and explained everything in the letter he wrote. But seeing how hurt and angry Licht was, Hyde knew that he was only being selfish and greedy. He thought he could have both love and fame but now he only had one. Sadly, fame was surprisingly lonely and empty.

His phone rang and Hyde answered it quickly. Hope made his voice shaky as he exclaimed, "Angel Cakes! I knew you would call eventually."

"It's Kuro, not 'Angel Cakes'. You should know your brother's name by now, Hyde." Kuro's lazy drawl answered him and Hyde sighed in disappointment. Kuro heard the slight change in Hyde's voice and wondered why he suddenly seemed sad. He wanted to ask him why but didn't want to do so over the phone. Instead, he said: "I called you to ask if you're doing anything right now."

"I'm not doing anything right now." Hyde answered. They didn't have a rehearsal that night so Hyde was practicing his lines. His siblings all had work and Mahiru forced Kuro to help him buy supplies so he was home alone.

"I'm at the Eve's house right now. Mahiru wants to take everyone's measurements so he can get started on the costumes. If you're not too busy, can you come? Licht has been playing the same song all day and I got this giant headache now so it'll be nice to have someone suffer with me." Hyde didn't answer him immediately and it sounded like he was rushing to leave.

"I'll be there in a little bit! Just wait for me." Hyde disconnected the call and left Kuro in confusion. He wondered why his brother sounded both nervous and excited. With their family history, he hoped that it wasn't because Hyde planned to play a prank on the Eves.

"What did your brother say?" Mahiru asked as he looked up from the dress he was making.

"He's on his way so he should be here in ten minutes or so. Since you don't need me anymore, I'll be going." Kuro stood from the couch but Mahiru quickly stopped him by catching his hand. He didn't say a word but his hard expression made Kuro sit down again. Mahiru chuckled slightly and turned back to the dress he was making.

Throughout the day, Mahiru had forced him to help him buy materials for the costumes. Despite his complaints and moans, Kuro held his bags for him even after he offered to carry some of them. When they first met, Mahiru decided to monitor him closely since he seemed lazy and unmotivated. Because of that, Mahiru would often force Kuro to help him with his duties.

But Kuro didn't know how to sew so he could only watch Mahiru. There wasn't much else Mahiru could ask Kuro to do because most of the major tasks were already done and Kuro didn't have a role in the play. Mahiru knew that eventually Kuro would only go back to the job Lily gave him originally and they would have no reason to work together anymore. The thought saddened him a little but he didn't know why.

"Why don't you just use a sewing machine? It'll be faster." Kuro commented after a moment. He had been watching him for a while and he could see how focus Mahiru was.

"I want to add ruffled fabric to the hem of the skirt to give it more volume. Making the basting stitch by hand gives me more control over the results. Thinking simply, you shouldn't rush through something like this. And I'll use the sewing machine once I finish securing the gathers." Mahiru explained without looking up from the fabric.

It was a small detail and Kuro doubted that the audience would notice it. But Mahiru still diligently worked on the dress. Mahiru could feel Kuro watching him and found himself feeling a little self conscious. He would often work alone but he had to admit that he liked talking with Kuro. From the corner of his eye, he watched Kuro toy with the measuring tape.

"Damnit!" Mahiru swore when he accidentally stabbed himself with a pin. He pulled his hand away quickly because of the pain and chastised himself for becoming so distracted. Kuro gently caught his hand and his eyes narrowed when he saw a small bead of blood well on his finger. "Let go, Kuro. I need to clean this up before blood gets on the dress."

"Is that what you're worried about?" Kuro sighed, a little exasperated. He brought his finger to his lips and licked the small wound. It was quick but Mahiru's heart jumped the moment he did so. His body stiffened and he blushed but Kuro didn't seem to notice as he wrapped a bandage around his finger. "There you go."

"Do you often carry bandages with you?" Mahiru asked as he quickly pulled away from Kuro. Even though he wasn't touching him anymore, Mahiru's heart was still racing.

"It's a habit of mine from the old days. When my siblings were kids, they would always get scraps or cut from playing. So, I would do something like this for them a lot. I always carry a couple bandages with me in case they need it." Kuro shrugged and Mahiru felt slightly conflicted by his answer. Kuro's action was something out of habit and nothing else.

"You do know that saliva isn't the best way to disinfect a wound, right?" Mahiru tried to distract himself from his racing heart by focusing on the dress again. But he found himself looking back to Kuro every so often. Even though he thought Kuro was a sloth at first, Mahiru found him surprisingly reliable at times. He wondered if it was because he was the oldest of his family.

He looked back down to his finger and said, "Thank you for the bandage."

"Really, it's nothing." Kuro shook his head. He started to say something more but there was a frantic knock on the door. When Kuro looked out the window, he saw that it was Hyde so went to open the door for him. Hyde immediately walked past Kuro and stride inside. Seeing the sly grin on Hyde's face, Kuro stopped him quickly. "What are you planning?"

"Planning? I'm not planning anything." Hyde said quickly but Kuro's expression told him that he didn't believe his lie. Honestly, Hyde was excited to have the chance to see Licht again. They had been so busy the past three days that they haven't been able to meet outside of rehearsals. Hyde didn't know if Licht was avoiding him on purpose or not but now he had the chance to see him again.

He was tempted to run to Licht's room but he knew that he couldn't when Mahiru and Kuro were watching him. It would be too suspicious if he did go to Licht's room so he waited in the living room while Mahiru took out a measuring tape. Though, Hyde had to admitted that he was tempted because he could hear Licht playing his piano.

"This shouldn't take too long so you'll be able to go home after this." Mahiru assured him.

"I was actually planning on staying." Hyde told then which made Kuro raise an brow at him. "The house is too quiet and I'm going to go crazy if I stay there. I brought my script and everything."

"That's alright," Mahiru said as he took Hyde's measurements. He didn't see any reason to tell Hyde to leave but Kuro looked more doubtful. Kuro loved his brother and trusted him but knew that his pranks could be mischievous and troublesome. Surprisingly, Mahiru didn't seem to be suspicious of Hyde and continued to write notes in his book.

Kuro thought that Mahiru would be more suspicious because of their family history but he wasn't. In fact, Mahiru never treated Kuro or anyone in his family differently. While Mahiru could be strict, he was also kind and understanding. He was different from what he expected of an Eve and it was refreshing to Kuro.

"All done." Mahiru closed his notebook and set it aside. "I'll get started on your costume after I'm finished with Tinker's dress. But I should be able to have everything finished by next week and all you need to do is come back for a fitting. You can practice here but can you try to keep it quiet so you won't bother Licht? He's very particular about the noise level when practicing."

"Lichtan!" Hyde called and barreled down the hall to Licht's room. "I need someone to help me with my lines! Come out and practise with me."

"Did you not hear Mahiru?" Kuro caught his collar to stop Hyde. He gave his brother a pout over his shoulder when he did so. "You promised Lily to behave so don't go starting a fight. If you really want someone to help you, I'll read your lines with you."

"I'm an amazing actor but not even I can get into character if my own brother is playing the romantic lead. Mahiru's busy with costumes so, unless there's someone else in this house other than the delusional pianist, he's the best person to practice with." Hyde pointed out and Kuro looked to Mahiru.

"Misono is working in his room but I'm sure he has time to help you. Thinking simply, Misono should be the person you practise with. He'll be able to give you comments about your acting since he wrote the script." Mahiru answered and Hyde tried to think of another excuse to practice with Licht.

"What's with all this noise?" Licht came out of his room and his glare hardened when he saw Hyde.

"I'm here because Mahiru said he needed my measurements." Hyde explained quickly and Licht clicked his tongue since he knew that he couldn't be angry with Hyde. A part of Licht knew that Hyde was only using Mahiru as an excuse to see him but couldn't curse at him for doing so in front of the others. "But, now that you're here, how about helping me practice my lines?"

"No. I have better things to do with my time than waste it on a demon like you. The only reason I came out was to tell you to be quiet while I'm playing, Shit Rat. I should kill you for disrupting an angel." Licht's eyes shot warning at Hyde and Mahiru could feel the air stiffen around the two. Mahiru quickly stepped between them and gently pushed them apart.

"Seriously guys, we do not have time for your fighting! Hyde, I'll read the love interest's lines and practice with you. We'll go outside to practice so you don't have to worry about us being too loud, Licht." Mahiru said, hoping that it would be a good compromise. He would have to work later than he first intended to finish the costumes but that was better than Licht and Hyde fighting.

"What?" Licht and Kuro screamed at the same time. Mahiru couldn't read the expressions the two had but he thought that volunteering to help was the best solution. Honestly, Kuro didn't know why he felt slightly jealous. On the other hand, Licht knew exactly why he felt jealous and wanted to stomp on the small remnants of love that threatened to resurface.

Luckily, someone knocked on the door and interrupted them. Mahiru went to open the door and was surprised to see Tetsu, Lily and JeJe on the other side. He wasn't expecting them because they didn't have a meeting for the play or anything else to discuss.

"Misono forgot his notebook at the theater so I came to return it." Tetsu held out the notebook when he saw the confusion on Mahiru's face.

"And I came with something to thank all the Eves for their hard work. When Tetsu told me that he was going to your house, I thought that this would be the perfect time to give it to you." Lily explained excitedly but Mahiru didn't see him carry anything. Without being prompted, Lily walked into the house. "We're going to have a party!"

"Didn't we just go to a Christmas party?" Kuro groaned at Lily's excitement.

"I'm here against my will." JeJe answered when Mahiru turned to him with questioning eyes. Lily had dragged him out of his workshop and told him that he wanted to have a party at the Eve's home because it would help them become closer. He didn't understand why Lily was trying so hard but they were close so he decided to help Lily. "The other Servamps will be here soon."

* * *

"Everyone's ruining my plan." Hyde muttered to himself as he sulked in the kitchen. Even though the party was a little awkward at first, it was now in full swing. Usually, Hyde would try to enjoy himself but he wanted to be alone for a moment. He sat at the table and tried to think of a way for him to be alone with Licht. He still had to be careful about the others discovering their relationship.

As he was thinking, his eyes landed on the refrigerator. A little curious, Hyde opened the freezer and peered inside. Hope and a smile appeared on his face when he saw a small snow bunny in it. The snow bunny he made for Licht. There was a small note leaning against the bunny reading,  _Don't touch Mr. Bunny. —Licht_

It was a little childish but it was so much like Licht to write a warning note that Hyde had to smile. If Licht was willing to keep a present from him, that meant there was still hope for them. With that thought in his head, Hyde returned to the party.

Because of the short time Lily had to plan the party, it wasn't extravagant but everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves as they spoke casually. Licht was sitting on the couch and Hyde quickly sat next to him. He ignored the glare he gave him. "You having fun, Lichtan? I know you must be angry that your piano practice was interrupted but you're so good you don't need it."

"What do you know about me?" Licht tried to distract himself from Hyde's smile. He took a box of chocolate from the coffee table in front of him and began to eat them. But a part of him laughed at himself. Hyde knew him better than his own family sometimes but that was years ago. They both changed and he knew better than to trust a man like Hyde.

"You wanna quiz me, Angel Cakes?" Hyde challenged but Licht didn't respond for a moment. His cheeks were tinted red and he began to sway. "Hey, Licht are you okay?"

"Stop acting like you care, Shit Rat." Licht brushed away the hand Hyde placed on his shoulder but his movements were unsteady until he rested his head on his shoulder. Hyde began to panic because he was shocked that Licht would lean on his so openly. When Licht lifted his head, Hyde could see that his eyes were clouded with a mixture of hurt and anger.

"I'm not going to fall for your act again. I hate that stupid grin of yours." Licht pinched his cheeks and began to stretch them painfully. "It makes me want to kiss you."

"What?" Hyde began to panic and quickly covered Licht's mouth. He looked around the room but nobody seemed to have heard him. He looked carefully into his eyes and they were glazed over. A rock settled in his stomach but his worries were confirmed when he ate one of the chocolate Licht was eating. "This has liquor in it. You know you can't have these chocolates!"

"I don't care. They taste good so give them back!" Licht complained and tried to take them back but Hyde held it out of his reach. He could never handle alcohol well and even the smallest amount could make him drunk. "Stupid Hyde, I'm going to kill you."

Licht stood but almost immediately began to stumble and he would've fallen onto the coffee table if it wasn't for Hyde catching him. He sighed when he felt Licht slump into his arms but he was glad that Licht wasn't fighting him anymore. "Time for bed. Hey, Mahiru, I'm going to take your brother up. He went and got himself drunk."

"Drunk? But Licht should know better than that." Mahiru's brows furrowed. Hyde casually lifted Licht into his arms as if he had done so a million times before. His movements were slow and gentle but what caught Mahiru's attention was how Licht leaned into Hyde's chest. Mahiru had seen them fight many times before but there was something surprisingly tender between them now.

He couldn't help but watch the two leave and wonder.

* * *

"Into bed with you, Angel Chan." Hyde gently lowered Licht into his bed. He was surprised when Licht didn't let go of his shirt and Hyde sat down next to him. Licht appeared to be sleeping and Hyde studied his defenseless expression. Most of their time together, Licht would give him a hard and guarded glare so Hyde was glad for the chance to see his soft expression again.

"Can't believe you got yourself drunk. I thought your family banned alcohol in the house because of you." Hyde spoke even though Licht didn't respond. He couldn't stop himself from brushing a few strands away from Licht's face and found his fingers lingering. How many nights had he laid awake remembering Licht?

"Don't…" Licht muttered and opened his eyes but they were still a little hazy.

"Sorry. Did I wake you, Angel Chan?" Hyde pulled his hand away quickly. "I know you don't like being woken and alcohol always made you a little emotional."

"Don't leave me, Hyde." It was clear that Licht was still a little drunk but Hyde couldn't stop his heart from jumping. Very rarely will Licht ever call him by his given name and hearing it always made him happy. Licht reached up to him and pulled him closer. "I loved you, Hyde."

Hyde was shocked by Licht's words that he couldn't pull away before Licht kissed him. It was a little ungraceful but the kiss brought back so many memories and feelings for both of them. His lips were warm and Hyde closed his eyes under Licht's spell. It made him dizzy and he wanted to melt into Licht's kiss. Licht pulled him deeper into the kiss and wrapped his arms around his neck.

"Licht, wait." By some miracle, Hyde forced himself apart from Licht. He placed his hands on his shoulder to keep him at a distance despite his every instinct telling him to continue kissing Licht. He was still breathless from the kiss and his voice was hoarse when he said. "You're drunk. I want to be with you but not like this. I need to go so just go to sleep."

"You're leaving me again…" The pain in Licht's eyes stabbed Hyde and he sat down next to him again. Licht looked up at him but then quickly turned away.

"I want to be with you again but I'm not greedy enough to take advantage of you while you're drunk. I don't want to leave you. I didn't then either. You see…" Hyde looked down at Licht and realized that he was asleep. He didn't know if he should sigh or laugh at himself. "Goodnight Licht."

Hyde closed the door behind him and leaned against it for a moment. His heart raced when he thought back to the kiss and sighed to himself. Then he remembered Licht's words.  _I loved you, Hyde._  Loved. Past tense. His hands tightened and prayed that it wasn't.


	9. Chapter 9

Hyde walked down the hall but he would find himself looking back to Licht's door. He wanted to run back to him but he knew that he shouldn't. Just thinking about his kiss threatened his resolve. Every night they were apart, he had dreamed of Licht but he never imagined their first kiss after years would be the result of a drunken stupor.

He wondered if Licht would remember their kiss considering how drunk he was. If Licht did remember, he would most likely kick Hyde for kissing him even if he was the one to initiate it. A part of Hyde didn't want him to remember and another part did because it might lead to Licht developing feelings for him again. Hyde touched his lips and remembered how soft Licht's were.

Before he could return to the party, Mahiru walked into the hall and motioned for him to follow him. He didn't know why Mahiru would want to speak to him but he followed him into the kitchen. They were alone in the kitchen but Mahiru still looked hesitant, as if he was choosing his words carefully. He wrung his hands together before he gritted his teethes.

"Hyde, I want you to be honest with me. What's your intention with my brother?" Mahiru couldn't stop picturing how Hyde carried Licht to his room and wonder what kind of relationship they had for Hyde to be able to do something like that so casually. He also remembered Kuro telling him that Hyde was trying to romance an angel at the Christmas party.

"Are you trying to pull some prank on Licht?" Mahiru was usually kind and soft spoken so Hyde was surprised by how assertive he was now. "Are you planning something because of our family feud? I thought we were putting that behind us but if you want to mess with Licht, I'm going to pull you from the play. I don't care how great of an actor you are."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Hyde could feel panic rush through him as his mind rushed. He knew from Mahiru's stern expression that he was serious. "I'm not going to do anything to mess up the play so you don't need to fire me. Anyways, the play is only a couple weeks away and I doubt you'll find anyone else to take my place."

"It's not the play I'm worried about, it's Licht. Look, I know telling you this probably won't stop you from whatever your planning but I hope it will." Mahiru leaned against the kitchen island and something sad entered his eyes. "Licht was hurt by someone before. In high school and he started dating someone but that person broke his heart when they broke up."

"Don't we all have break ups?" Hyde tried to keep his voice even so Mahiru wouldn't suspect anything. But he knew that Mahiru was most likely referring to their relationship.

"I asked him why they broke up and Licht told me that the person only dated him as a joke. We don't know the detail but I saw how it affected him. He couldn't play his piano for weeks. When he could play again, he ran to France saying that this place had too many memories." Mahiru's words shocked Hyde. "He's strong but he also has a soft heart. I don't want to see him hurt again."

"I'm sorry…" Hyde couldn't find anything else to say. "But I'm not planning to hurt Licht."

"Then what do you want?" Mahiru could see the conviction in Hyde's eyes. He appeared to be honest when he said that he didn't want to hurt Licht but then what was his goal? They fought often but there were also moments they seemed to care about each other so Mahiru didn't know how they felt about each other. His suspicion only rose when Hyde hesitated to answer.

Hyde knew that he couldn't tell Mahiru the truth and that he wanted a second chance to be with Licht. If Mahiru knew that he was the one that originally broke Licht's heart, he would most likely try to keep them apart. But he doubted he could lie to Mahiru either.

"I would like you to stop accusing my brother." Kuro came between them and could feel Mahiru's eyes on him. He went into the kitchen for a glass for water but found himself in a tense atmosphere instead. While Kuro didn't know what they were talking about, he could see how anxious Hyde was and had to step in. "It'll be troublesome to drag this out so let's drop the issue."

"I know that you're only trying to protect your brother, Kuro, but I have my own brother to protect so I'm not going to 'drop the issue' because it's 'troublesome'. I refuse to sit by and let Hyde hurt Licht with whatever he's planning." Mahiru stood straighter and didn't let his eyes weaver from Kuro's.

Throughout the time they spent together, they have grown close but they also valued their families dearly. Kuro knew that Hyde had his flaws. Even he was worried that Hyde was planning a prank only a few hours prior but Kuro didn't think he would cause trouble when he promised Lily he would abide by the truce. Looking into Mahiru's eyes, he doubted he could convince him of that though.

"Hyde's been working very hard for the play so when would he have time to come up with a prank?" Kuro argued. "But it must be so easy for you to assume that he's just some immature punk. I thought you were different and didn't judge us because of this stupid family feud. That's been over for years now yet you Eves always drag it out of the closet."

"You Servamps are hardly one to talk!" Mahiru shot back. "Hyde's been provoking Licht into fights since he came back and you barely do nothing to stop him. Our mother did nothing but love the wrong man and I'm not going to let that happen to Licht. Your family just enjoy messing with our hearts, don't you? Get out of my house now!"

Mahiru screamed the words before he realized he did. Kuro looked shocked for a moment and Mahiru began to regret his harsh words but he knew he couldn't take them back. Even if Kuro hated him, he couldn't let Hyde hurt Licht. "We still have to finish the play together but once that's over, our families have no reason to see each other again."

Kuro clenched his jaw but knew that it was best not to push the issue further. He could see that Hyde was hesitant and there was something he wanted to say. Then, Hyde sighed. "I'll go. There's no need to stop the party when everyone's having fun. But can you do me a favour and make sure Licht is okay when he wakes up? He'll probably have a hangover."

"Okay," Mahiru nodded and watched Hyde leave silently. After he closed the door behind him, Mahiru and Kuro were left alone. They didn't know what to say to each other after the tense scene. He started to speak but when he looked up, Kuro was already walking back to the party. Mahiru couldn't bring himself to stop him. "I'm sorry…"

* * *

"And this is when Misono was five and dressed as a prince for Halloween. Isn't he cute? The cape was a little big on him and he kept tripping over it. Gave me a heart attack all night but Mahiru hemmed it for him later. He was so excited to collect candy but he ended falling asleep in the car."

"Put that away, Mikuni!" Misono screamed, partly out of embarrassment and anger. Mikuni ignored him and turned the page to continue telling stories of their childhood. When Lily made a comment about the pictures hanging on the wall, Mikuni took it as an opportunity to show them his photo albums. They were now gathered around the photo album and Misono couldn't be more mortified.

"Misono?" Someone tapped his shoulder and he looked up to find that it was Tetsu. He gestured to the door and said. "Can I speak to you alone?"

"Sure." Misono nodded, glad that he could escape his brother's embarrassing stories. He thought that Tetsu only wanted to speak to him for a moment so didn't bother to put on a jacket before following him out of the house. He was surprised when Tetsu continued to walk past the porch and quickly followed him. "Hey, Tetsu, where are you going?"

"I'm going to find the treasure." Tetsu said over his shoulder. He slowed his steps so that Misono wouldn't be left behind. Misono took his arm and stopped him.

"You're still going to look for that stupid treasure? We already discussed this and it's near impossible to find." Misono remembered the last time Tetsu and Lily tried to drag him on a treasure hunt for the chest. Lily thought that it would help mend the rift between the two families but Misono didn't know what Tetsu's motivation was. "Why are you suddenly bringing this up?"

"I think I caused a fight." Tetsu said regretfully and stopped. Misono didn't understand what he meant and raised a brow at him. "I brought a box of chocolate to the party but I didn't know Licht couldn't eat them. If I didn't bring them, Mahiru wouldn't have fought with Hyde. I caused a problem so I need to solve it. They won't have a reason to continue fighting if we find the treasure."

"What were they fighting about?" Misono thought the two families were getting along better than expected. Tetsu hesitated to answer and thought back to the scene he saw in the kitchen. He didn't feel comfortable enough to interfere but he did want to help. "Okay, so you're not going to tell but can you answer me this: This is between our two families so you have no reason to help yet you are, why?"

"Because Hugh is my friend and I want you to be my friend as well. I don't want my two friends to be arguing so I need to help you get along. I've gotten to know both of your families and I don't think either of you stole it. Finding the treasure will help prove that." Tetsu explained and Misono couldn't help but blush. He had never been popular so Tetsu was the first person to say that he wanted to be his friend.

"It's sweet you're doing this but I don't think we can find it easily." Misono pointed out. His breath caused a white puff and he shivered a little. He was starting to regret not taking a jacket with him. Without a word, Tetsu took off his jack and placed it around Misono's shoulder. It was too large for him and engulfed his whole body.

"Warm?" Tetsu leaned down to help him button the jacket.

"Yeah but what about you?" Misono blushed when he realized how close they were. While Tetsu didn't seen to think anything of it, Misono could feel his heart racing. He had to admit that the jacket was extremely warm and it was most likely because of Tetsu's body heat. His jacket also smell like him and it almost felt like Tetsu was hugging him. "Aren't you going to be cold?"

"You need it more than me." Tetsu pat his head. He knew that Misono was older than him so he should be more respectful but he felt protective of him because of his small frame.

"Stop treating me like a child." Misono brushed his hand away and puffed his cheeks at him. He turned away from him so he couldn't see his blush. But if he was honest. He would admit that he liked how strong and warm his hand felt. "But if you really want to find the treasure, I'll help. My mother had a diary that might help us so let's head back. I can also get my jacket too."

"You're going to help me?" Tetsu's smile couldn't be larger and Misono didn't know why his words would make him so happy.

"I'm only helping you because we're friends so stop smiling like a fool." Tetsu's smile only grew.

* * *

"Someone, please kill me now." Licht felt as if his head was going to split in two and he groaned. The events of the party came back to him in pieces and wished that he didn't remember them. How could he have kissed Hyde? He had no doubt that he would use the kiss to tease him. Furthermore, he embarrassed himself by begging him to stay.

"Licht, are you awake?" Licht forced himself to sit up and saw that it was midnight so he didn't know who would be visiting him so late. The soft knocking on his door sounded like a hammer to him and he grunted. The person took it as an invitation and opened the door. Mahiru walked with a glass of water and an aspirin in each hand.

"Shouldn't you be asleep, Mahiru?" Licht asked as Mahiru handed each to him.

"Please don't lecture me when the reason I'm up this late is because I have to take care of you. Based on the other times you got drunk, I guessed you'll wake up with a hangover about now." Mahiru took a stool and sat next to his bed. "How are you feeling? We both know how bad you are with alcohol so you should know better than to drink."

"Spare me the lecture, Mom." The nickname was an age old joke among that family. Despite being the second younger, Mahiru took on a lot of their mother's responsibilities after she died. He turned and saw that he had a worried expression. "What is it?"

"Licht, I want to talk to you about something. It's about Hyde." Licht tensed slightly at his name and Mahiru worried further at the sight. He didn't comment on it and instead went on. "It's obvious you two don't get along and he's always playing jokes on you. I was thinking about pulling him from the play."

"What?" Licht turned sharply to face Mahiru and saw that his eyes were serious. He instinctively started to argue but stopped himself. If he became too emotional, he knew Mahiru would become suspicious of their relationship. So, he forced his voice to be even. "He's annoying but don't we need him? If you think he's the reason I got drunk, it's not. I accidentally ate chocolate with alcohol in it."

"So, that's what happened." Mahiru said softly but he knew that there was more Licht wasn't telling him. "But I'm still a little worried. Simply thinking, your fights gets in the way of rehearsals sometimes and it might be better to separate you two. Anyways, I'm worried about you."

"You don't need to be worried about me and…" Licht tightened his hands on his blanket. If he agreed with Mahiru now, he wouldn't have to worry about Hyde bothering him. It would be easier to ignore the feelings he buried if he didn't have to be near him. He knew that but Licht found himself saying, "I don't think you should pull Hyde from the play."

"You don't?" His answer only made Mahiru more confused about the relationship Licht and Hyde shared.

"You can look for an understudy but I doubt you'll be able to find one as great as Hyde. He might be an annoying person but he's a great actor. I hate having to say this but if we want this to be the best play possible, we need him." Licht almost had to laugh at himself. He was truly losing himself if he was defending Hyde but he knew the reason.  _You need him._

"If you're really worried about us fighting, I'll stop even though he really deserves it." Licht couldn't believe how much his feelings had resurfaced and clouded his judgement. He could only hope that he wouldn't fall for Hyde completely before the play was over. Once it was, he could leave the town and his feelings behind again.

"Okay, I won't pull him out of the play." Mahiru decided to trust Licht. He stood and gave him an understanding smile. "That's all I wanted to discuss with you so I'll let you sleep off your hangover now. Good night, Licht."

"Night Mahiru." Licht waited for Mahiru to close the door behind him before he let out a heavy sigh. He stood and walked to his window. It was already opened and he leaned out to let the cold air wash over him. He wanted to clear his thoughts. Usually he would play his piano but he doubted he could place all his confusing feelings into his song.

"I'm losing my mind to that shitty rat again." Licht closed his eyes and muttered.

"I'm not giving it back." A teasing voice answered him. Licht recognized it and quickly scanned the yard. "Look down, Angels Cake."

Licht was tempted to go back into his room and close the window but he looked down. Hyde was huddled in the bushes beneath his window and grinning up at him. He wondered how long Hyde had been outside his window. Hyde's next words answered his unspoken question. "So, I'm an annoying person but a great actor? I think that's the best compliment you've given me since we came home."

"Why are you here?" Licht scowled and Hyde stood to face him.

"I only came to check on you. How's the headache?" He leaned against the window and reached up to touch Licht's cheek. When he didn't pull away, he gently massaged his temple. Licht leaned into his hand and told himself that it was only because of his hangover. "Thanks for defending me against your brother."

"I only did it for the play, not you, so stop smiling." Licht corrected but Hyde's grin never faltered. He was glad he decided to see Licht that night and hope filled him. "If the only reason you came was to check on me, you can go now. I'm fine."

"I lied about it being my only reason. There's one more." Hyde stole a quick kiss from Licht. "I wanted a goodnight kiss. Drink lots of water to cure that hangover of yours, Angel Cakes."

Hyde stepped away from the window and ran across the yard before Licht could hit him. He stopped at the opening and smiled over his shoulder at him. Licht was glad that it was too dark for Hyde to see him blush. The kiss was quick, and almost chaste, but it still caused his heart to sing. "I really am losing my mind to him."


	10. Chapter 10

"You actually picked up!" Hyde exclaimed when Licht answered his call. Every morning, he would call him but Licht would always reject his call so he was surprised that he answered. He hoped that it was a good sign and continued quickly. "I was just calling to check up on you. How are you feeling? You were a good angel and drank a lot of water to help with the hangover like I told you to, right?"

"Oh, it's just you, Shit Rat. I thought someone else was calling me." Licht said after a moment and disconnected the call. He groaned and fell back onto his bed. How could he not know that the caller was Hyde when he called every morning? But Licht answered his call despite himself and he still didn't know why. His phone rang again and he knew that it was most likely Hyde so he let it go to voicemail.

Licht buried his face into his pillow and tried to think of why he would even bother with Hyde. He already broke his heart once so he should know better than to let him into his life again. He intended to limit their interaction to the play but it seemed like he was falling into the same trap he did in high school. He touched his lips and remembered Hyde's kiss. If only he got more drunk so he could forget it.

His phone continued to ring and Licht thought back to when he would look forward to Hyde's call every morning. While he travelled abroad as a pianist, he was often alone but he didn't realize how much he missed hearing another person's voice in the morning until he returned home… Not just any person's voice but Hyde's. When his phone stopped ringing, Licht wondered if he finally gave up.

He didn't understand why he felt disappointed or why his heart jumped a little when his phone vibrated, telling him that Hyde sent him a text. Licht opened it and told himself that it would be okay as long as he didn't answer it.  _Still have a hangover? If I was there, I would kiss you better~ But I'll have to wait until rehearsal to see you again. Too long. See you then._

"Get out of my head, Shit Rat." Licht tossed the phone onto his desk so he wouldn't be tempted to text Hyde back. He didn't know how Hyde could continue to act so casually with him, as if they hadn't broken up. He was the one that left without an explanation so why did he get to act like nothing happened? "I should've killed you when I had the chance."

There was a knock on his door and he was surprised when it was Mikuni that walked into his room. "Mahiru made breakfast. We didn't hear you playing your piano so he thought you were still sleeping. He told us about how you got drunk yesterday and that we should let you sleep in. I thought it was better to talk to you. A hangover never stopped you from playing your piano so what's wrong?"

"I'm just tired," Licht lied and turned away from his brother. The knowing glint in his eyes always made Licht think that Mikuni knew more than he let on. Even in high school, he seemed to know everyone's secrets but he never said anything about Hyde so he thought that he didn't know. "Did Mahiru tell you to talk to me?"

"Can't your big brother worry about you? If you don't want to talk to me, how about telling Abel?" Licht rolled his eyes when Mikuni squished the doll against his cheek. In the past, the siblings loved Mikuni's antics with the doll but they were older now. Mikuni seemed to be the only one that didn't outgrow their childish habits. "Abel wants to hear you play your piano again."

"What does she want to hear?" Licht took the doll from Mikuni and placed her on his lap. Misono gave him the doll so Mikuni was protective of it and only his siblings were allowed to play with her.

"Abel wants to hear why you're upset. Look, I know that I wasn't the best brother back then but I do love you all." Since their parents died, Mikuni had to work often to provide for their family and he regrettably wasn't able to spend much time with his siblings. "If one of those Servamps is bothering you, I'll protect you from him just like I did back then."

"I'm old enough to protect myself so you and Mahiru don't need to be so concerned." Licht didn't want to worry his siblings but he was having a hard time hiding his feelings. His siblings were always able to read him easily as well. He tried to think of a way to change the subject and pointed to the window. "Anyways, shouldn't you be more worried about that guy taking Misono away?"

"What?" Mikuni raced to the window and saw Misono walking with Tetsu. He took Abel back from Licht and rushed to chase after them. He didn't bother with the front door and climbed out the window. Licht watched him and laughed to himself. Mikuni poked his head into the window again and told Licht. "Remember, if you need anything, your family's here for you."

"I know." He said but he wondered how they would react if he told them that his problem was that he was falling in love with a Servamp— again. Licht sighed to himself because he wasn't 'falling in love again'. Those feelings never really left him even though Hyde broke his heart that night.

* * *

Hyde looked around the theater when he walked in and was glad to see that Mahiru was nowhere in sight. He walked with a small bounce in his steps to where Licht who was tuning the piano. Even though he ended their call rather abruptly, Hyde still held hope that Licht was slowly lowering his defenses again. "Morning, Angel Cakes! There's still some time before rehearsal so do you need any help here?"

"I doubt you can help me with those demon hands of yours. I'm adjusting the tension of the strings so I need to concentrate. Step back. If they snap, they can hurt you." Licht told him but Hyde didn't move away from him. Instead, he sat on the piano bench and watched him work.

"You're worried about me, Lichtan? That's so sweet." He said in a teasing voice. Licht didn't respond but Hyde was perfectly content with watching him work. The intense concentration on his face always intrigued him and he thought that it was attractive how Licht would always immerse himself in something he loved. "It would be hard to get cast if I get a scar."

"I'm sure you'll find something with your skills." Licht mumbled without thinking but Hyde heard him. He couldn't stop the grin on his face and pride swelled in him at his simple acknowledgement. When he saw Hyde's cheeky smile, Licht quickly amended. "There should be roles for a character that's living garbage with a scar and likes to play with people's feelings."

"… I wasn't playing back then." Hyde said softly so only Licht could hear him. The only reply he gave him was the soft click of closing the piano panel.

"Mahiru, I'm done fixing the piano so we can get rehearsal started." Licht called into the back and Mahiru came out. It was obvious to Hyde that he was putting a wall between them.

Mahiru was carrying several props in his arms. Usually, he would ask Kuro to help him but he decided to avoid him after the way he yelled at him yesterday. He couldn't help but remember the fight when he saw Hyde sitting next to Licht who had an unreadable expression.

Mahiru didn't want to argue with yell again but his stern eyes were enough to make Hyde step away from Licht. "So, what scene are we going to work on today? I already memorized all my lines and have an idea of what I want to do for each so any is fine with me."

"I think we should be able to practice the last scene now." Mahiru looked to Lily for his opinion and he nodded. The last scene was the romantic climax and they decided to wait until Hyde and Tinker got to know each other better before they tried to perform the scene. While Hyde was a professional actor, Tinker was only a volunteer and couldn't create chemistry with a man she barely knew.

Licht's hands stiffened over the keys slightly but only Hyde noticed it. He helped him rehearse and he had a copy of the script so he knew the last scene involved a kiss. The thought of Hyde kissing someone else shouldn't bother him because it was a mere play and Hyde broke his heart but there was no denying that he felt a rock drop painfully in his stomach.

Licht shook himself and forced himself to focus on his music sheets again. "Lily, give me the cue when you want me to play the instrumentals over the kiss."

"I'll raise my hands for the first time. But if you feel somewhere else would be better timing, we'll try it out." Lily said, oblivious of the tension growing around him. Mahiru noticed it though and sighed. He looked to where Kuro was sitting in the front row, seemingly sleeping. They had avoided each other all morning but Mahiru knew that they couldn't continue like they were.

"Kuro?" Mahiru sat next to him but he didn't respond. He wondered if Kuro was actually asleep but went on. "I'm sorry for the way I acted last night. It wasn't right for me to yell at you when you were only defending your brother. I accused him of intending to hurt my brother without giving him a chance to explain himself. My brother was hurt by someone and I projected that onto Hyde. I've been told I could be a little protective over people I love but that's no excuse."

"You were defending your brother like I was so there's no need to apologize." Kuro opened his eyes slightly and saw Mahiru's earnest expression. Honestly, he didn't like that Mahiru judged his brother so harshly but he could understand it slightly. He thought that Mahiru was better than judging others and that was one of the reason he got upset yesterday.

"We need to work together so can you forgive me?" Mahiru asked and his large eyes made Kuro's emotions stir slightly.

"Do you only want me to forgive you just for the sake of the play?" Kuro answered his question with one of his own. He watched hesitation cross Mahiru's face and he didn't know why he was disappointed. What did he want Mahiru to answer with? They agreed that they would go back to the way the were before the play so his answer shouldn't matter to Kuro.

"I do like you and I think you're a good person so I would like us to be friends now even if we don't talk after the play's over." His answer was better than saying that it was only for the play's sake but Kuro found himself strangely dissatisfied. He didn't let any of those thoughts appear on his face when he turned to him.

"You're a troublesome person but you're not so bad yourself. I forgive you but I need to say I'm sorry too. I'm Hyde's brother so I would know him better than you do and I forgot that in the moment. I know how seriously he takes relationships and how he would never play with someone's feelings for a prank. He was heartbroken when his angel left him in high school so he wouldn't do that to someone."

"You mentioned this angel before. Who was she?" Mahiru asked but Kuro shrugged.

"Hyde never told us and we just assumed that there was a reason like his parents wouldn't accept our family. We did have a reputation of being a bunch of rebels back then." Mahiru remembered all the rumours surrounding the family but he knew now that most of them were exaggerations or lies. "He's serious about winning back his angel so you don't need to worry about Licht."

"I hope so." Mahiru watched Licht and his brows furrowed. He had to wonder about Hyde and Licht's relationship and he wished he knew more. The more he thought about it, the more pieces fell into place but they didn't give Mahiru a clear picture.

Licht didn't notice the others watching him and stuttered through the notes. The more he tried to focus on the song, the less he could. He needed to match the song to the scene to support the emotion of the play but he found that he couldn't. It was effortless for him when he played for the other scenes but he couldn't find his rhythm now. He completely missed Lily's signal and had to rush through the song.

"Can I change something?" Hyde asked suddenly and gently maneuvered Tinker so that she was standing on a different area of the stage. "Sorry, I think this would be better. I'll start again from the top of page 36.  _My Ariel, my angel, my love, my everything. Please take this man back. I was wrong to leave you and I travelled through hell to come back to your side. I'll do it a thousand more times for you._ "

" _Do you think sweet words will make me forgive you? It won't. How do I know that you won't leave me again?"_

" _Because, you're my home. Your side is where I belong. Your hands, your eyes, your lips, how I can I live without them. I love you, Ariel_." Hyde leaned closer to her and Licht forced himself to watch. If he could see Hyde kiss another person without feeling anything, that would mean that he didn't love him anymore. As he watched, he felt surprisingly numb. Though he continued to play, he didn't hear the music or feel the keys beneath his fingers until the song ended.

"I need to go to the bathroom." Licht pushed away from his piano and stood when the scene was over. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Lily talking to Hyde about the scene and he was glad that he couldn't follow him. He didn't look back again as he walked quickly to the hallway. He knew that leaving so abruptly would only lead to questions but he couldn't stand being in the theater hall.

He walked into the bathroom and leaned against the sink. While he watched the kiss, he felt numb but now that he was alone, the rock in his stomach moved and released all the feelings he had. Jealousy, regret, and frustration overwhelmed him. Licht turned on the faucet and hoped that the running water would drown out his voice. "Damnit! Why do I still feel this way?"

"Lichtan?" He turned to the door to see Hyde walk into the bathroom. He locked the door and closed the space between them quickly. Before Licht could run away again, Hyde took his arm with one hand and cover his mouth with his other. He kissed the back of his hand and explained. "This was what you saw. I didn't kiss her but the angle made it look like I did to the audience. It's an old theater trick."

"You don't need to tell me this." Licht pushed away his hand. "It doesn't really matter if you kissed her or not."

"But  _I_  wanted you to know that kiss meant nothing. Even if I actually kissed her, it wouldn't mean anything. I couldn't care less if I kissed her or not because we're just characters on a stage. I decided not to kiss her because you looked so mad." Hyde cupped his face. "The only kiss that matters to me is yours so you don't need to get jealous."

"Who said I was jealous?" Licht denied but he had to turn away to hide his blush. Hyde gently guided his face back to look into his eyes again.

"You looked pretty jealous to me but you don't need to worry." Hyde chuckled softly and ruffled his hair. "I already talked to Lily about having a fake kiss instead of a real one. Tinker has a boyfriend so I told Lily I was worried about stepping on his toes. My kiss has been known to steal people's heart."

"Lily actually believed that reason?" He looked skeptical when Hyde nodded but Licht was more relieved than he was willing to admit. "And how can you be so confident when you don't kiss that well."

"I would prove you wrong," Licht was caught off guard when Hyde leaned closer to him. He tried to back away from him but found his back pressed against the wall. Unexpectedly, Hyde only kissed his cheek before he pulled away. "But my timing always seems to be off when I want to kiss you. Last time you were too drunk and kissing in a bathroom isn't any more romantic. I want to treat you right now that I have a second chance with you."

"I never said I was giving you a second chance." Licht muttered but his voice didn't have the conviction it once had. Even if his feelings were resurfacing, he wasn't foolish enough to let Hyde into his life once again. He already broke his heart once. Licht reminded himself of that and gently pushed Hyde away. "I need to go back before Mahiru starts to worry."


	11. Chapter 11

"I'm so sorry about my brother. I swear he's…" Misono wanted to tell Tetsu that his brother was normal but he had to admit that Mikuni was far from conventional. That morning Mikuni had interrupted their walk and Misono wanted to apologize for his brother's behaviour so he asked him if they could speak on the bridge during rehearsals. "He means well. You met him before so you already know this but he tends to exaggerate. Please don't be bothered by his yelling."

"He was yelling at me?" Tetsu asked, confused. "I thought he was trying to give me advice."

At first, Misono gawked at his oblivious nature but then he chuckled softly. "You're very… optimistic. How is my brother screaming, 'don't think you have a chance with my brother while you're just an uncultured brute' giving you advice? Well, he's working this afternoon so we can look for the treasure without him following us. I brought my mother's diary."

Misono took out the diary from his bag and showed it to him. Tetsu looked over his shoulder as he opened the book and their arms brushed lightly. The brief contact made Misono jump slightly and Tetsu wrapped his arms around him to keep him from falling off the bridge. "You need to be careful, Chibi."

"You're the one that's moving too close to me." Misono blushed and tried to focus on his mother's diary again. "I read through it last night but there's not much that could help us. She didn't describe where they buried the chest in detail."

Tetsu opened the diary and skimmed through the pages. He found a photo tucked inside and it was of a woman holding a baby. Misono saw the photo he was holding and gently took it back. "That's me and my mother. We were close but I wish that I could've had more time with her. She died when I was ten but I can still remember her."

"She was beautiful." Misono knew that it was customary to give a respectful compliment but Tetsu's words sounded genuine. He was a little startled when Tetsu's hand gently brushed his bangs. "You look like her."

"My brothers say that too but I don't know if I should take that as a compliment. Guys don't like being told they have feminine features." He tried to put some distance between them to keep his heart from racing. Misono didn't know how Tetsu could be so casual with him even though they didn't know each other long. They agreed to be friends but Misono didn't think mere friends would be so close.

"It's a compliment. You're both pretty." Tetsu started to lean closer to him but Misono pushed him away.

"We're supposed to talk about the chest, not me! Lets just focus on my mother's diary again. It clearly shows that she didn't take the chest. She wrote about how hurt she was to be betrayed by him and he had the guile to accuse her." Misono frowned and showed him the entry.

"She didn't steal it." Tetsu agreed but quickly added. "But the Servamp's father didn't either. Maybe they simply didn't remember where they hid it and looked in the wrong place. You said that she didn't write any detail about where they hid it but I'm sure we can find it."

* * *

"Hyde, are you okay?" Kuro asked when he caught Hyde lost in thought. He followed his gaze to where Licht was speaking to Tinker. When he looked back to Hyde, he saw a yearning in his eyes he hadn't seen since high school. He wondered if his expression was because of the angel he dated.

He thought back to the conversation he had with Mahiru earlier. He reassured him by saying that Hyde was already in love with an angel. He couldn't see Licht or Tinker being Hyde's angel so why did his brother have a bittersweet shadow in his eyes when he watched them. "Hyde?"

"What? Oh, Kuro! I was just thinking about how to improve the kiss scene and got a little distracted. I'll help with the clean up now." Hyde jumped to attention when he heard Kuro's voice. He grabbed a random prop to carry to the back but he could still feel Kuro watching him. He hoped that he didn't catch him staring at Licht and he tried to act normal.

"That's not what I asked you." Kuro took the prop from him before he could drop it in his haste to run away. "I asked you if something's wrong. Don't think about trying to evade or lie either. We both know it's pointless to try."

"Do you really have to be a brother right now?" Hyde groaned and picked up a box. Even without him saying anything, Kuro knew that he wanted to go to a discrete place to talk. They walked to the storage room and Hyde was glad that there wasn't anyone inside. He placed down the box and turned to his brother. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

"You just looked… melancholy." Kuro said but he didn't know if it was the right word to use. He couldn't describe the expression Hyde had but it was clear that he was troubled. While he was the oldest, he never felt adept enough to solve his siblings' problems. But he still tried. "Is this about your angel? I thought things were going well with him."

"I thought so too but he ran away from me today. I can't think of a way to make him stay long enough for me to talk to him. If I can just talk to him and explain to him why I left, he'll forgive me." Hyde leaned against the wall and looked down at his feet. Kuro didn't have much experience with love himself so he didn't know what kind of advice to give him.

"Hyde, is this angel really worth it if he makes you this sad?" Hyde looked up at him and saw Kuro's conflicted expression. He knew that a good brother would encourage Hyde but he didn't want to see him hurt. "I know how important he is to you but I don't want you wasting time on something that can't be fixed."

"I broke it so I need to fix it. I know you won't understand but he's worth the effort. I never needed something as much as I need him. He's my angel and I love him. If I let him go now, I'm going to regret it for the rest of my life. I already have too much regrets when it comes to him." Hyde's hand tightened into fists. "When you find someone that shines like the sun, you want to bask in their light. Don't you know how that feels?"

Mahiru's smile came to Kuro's mind and Kuro quickly shook his head. He didn't know why his face immediately appeared but he didn't allow himself to think the reason because he needed to help Hyde. "You're hurting and it'll be better if I knew that it's not for nothing. Does he love you?"

"He…" Hyde trailed off because he couldn't answer Kuro. He wanted to say that Licht still loved him or that he could make him fall in love again. But, the image of Licht running away from him stopped any argument he had. Did Licht still love him?

* * *

 _Can we talk? Meet me in front of the theater tonight_. Licht read Hyde's text. He received it hours ago but he still didn't know how to reply. His first instinct was to text him a rejection but something stopped him. Even though he hadn't worked through his feelings for Hyde, Licht found himself walking to the theater that night. He didn't text Hyde back so Licht wondered if he would be waiting for him.

It was almost midnight and Licht doubted that he would wait so long for him. He remembered the night they planned to elope and how he waited for hours in front of the church. Licht considered leaving him there to wait like he did all those years ago. It would serve him right. He deserved nothing more than to understand how it felt. Despite those thoughts, his heart jumped slightly when he reached the theater and saw Hyde waiting.

He was looking down at his phone so he didn't notice him yet. Licht could leave without him knowing but he couldn't bring himself to move towards or away from Hyde. The light from his phone allowed Licht to see his sad expression and he wondered what he wanted to meet with him about. After taking a breath, Licht walked towards him. "I'm here. What do you want?"

"Lichtan?" Surprise crossed his face when he heard Licht's voice. He had a wide, hopeful grin until he saw Licht's grim expression. He knew he shouldn't expect him to run into his arms like he would in the past but a part of him couldn't help but picture those times. "Do you want to go somewhere else? You'll catch a cold if we talk out here."

"This is fine. I can't stay long." Licht lied but Hyde nodded. Hyde knew that it was his way to distance them and the rejection stung him. They were both adults and they didn't have to answer to anyone. He looked down at the ground and tried to collect himself. The picture of Licht running away from him in the bathroom replayed itself and he sighed.

"Licht, do you still love me?" Hyde met his eyes when he asked the question. In the past weeks, there was always a spark of hope that they could be together again in his voice but now Licht only heard a solemn surrender. "Yes or no, that's all you need to say. If you say no, I'll give up on us. I won't bother you ever again and I'll pretend we're strangers."

"You're not lying?" Licht said hesitantly. While Hyde was a great actor, he could hear in his voice that he was truthful. If he rejected him now, he wouldn't have to worry about the feelings he had for Hyde. With one word, he could rid himself of Hyde forever. It should've been what he wanted but Licht couldn't bring himself to say no. "Why are you saying this now after everything?"

"This afternoon, I realized that you're not the Licht I fell in love with." Hyde answer was a whisper and Licht looked up at him sharply. "The Licht I loved wouldn't run away from me like you did in the bathroom— like you've been doing. I don't want to give up on us but… If nothing's going to change, break my heart now. Tell me you don't love me anymore."

"You must think highly of yourself if you think that I'm actually running from you. As if this angel would waste his time with a demon like you. I told you over and over that I hate you but you're the idiot that persisted." Licht tried to laugh haughtily but it sounded shaky, even to him. " _The Licht I fell in love with…_  How can you say that when you never even loved me?"

"… Four times. I fell in love with you four times since I met you." There was a distance between them but Hyde started to walk towards him, closing it. "The first time I fell in love was when I saw you play your piano. Your song moved me and inspired me. It made me feel like I could do anything and I wanted to know who the man that could play so beautifully was."

With each word, Hyde walked closer to him but Licht didn't step away from him. "The next time was after we started dating. Those jerks were making fun of you for playing the piano. I was ready to punch them for insulting you but then you started fighting them and I thought: 'That's my angel. He can take care of himself.' You only got more interesting."

Hyde was standing in front of him now and he gently touched the white strand in his hair. Under the streetlight, Licht could see him clearly and his resolve almost broke when he saw how vulnerable Hyde looked. He had to stop himself from reaching out to Hyde.

"The third time was when I didn't get the part for the play. I wanted to be in that play with you. I was moping in my room but then you just kicked down my door to yell at me." Hyde laughed lightly at the memory. "I still remember what you said.  _What are you doing? If you want something, wish, reach out your hand and take it. Go back there and show them why you're my one and only._  You inspired me to try again and I got the part. I knew with you, I could do anything."

Licht's silence was weighing on him but he forced himself to continue so he would understand his feelings. "The fourth time was just a couple weeks ago. I saw you in the airport and I remembered all those moments we shared. I fell in love with you all over again and I realized that I'll continue to do so. I love you and that will never change… But if you don't love me, I won't bother you with my feelings anymore. So, do you love me Licht?"

He couldn't say anything in response but Hyde took his silence as an answer. His hand dropped, defeated, and stepped away from him. "I guess I can't expect anything else. I really messed up back then, didn't I? I'm sorry. Goodbye, Licht."

Hyde turned away from him and began to walk away. Licht bit his lip as he watched him leave for a moment. A torrent of emotions washed over him but not one of them was relief or happiness like he was expecting. Before he could stop himself, Licht ran forward and yelled. "You don't get to say you love me like that and just walk away."

Hyde started to turn at Licht's words but staggered when he hugged him from behind suddenly. Licht buried his face into his back and clutched Hyde's jacket. He could feel Licht trembling slightly and he knew that it wasn't because of the cold so he placed his hand over his. His words were muffled but Hyde still heard them. "I didn't say I didn't love you."

"You love me?" Hyde asked and became hopeful once again.

"… I'm not going to say that either. You broke my heart by leaving me once so you're not allowed to do that again. Don't leave." Licht tightened his hands into fists. "Didn't I tell you to reach out and take what you want? You're just going to give up like this?"

Licht knew he had couldn't lecture Hyde when he was running away from his feelings.  _I love you, Hyde._  He tried to bury the feelings for years but faced with the prospect of losing Hyde again, those feelings forced their way to the surface. Despite how foolish he knew he was being and how he feared being hurt by him again, he hated the thought of Hyde leaving.

"I already told you that I didn't want to leave you back then. I don't want to leave you now." Hyde turned so they could face each other but Licht stubbornly kept his gaze on the ground. "I want you but you don't love me anymore. Trying to change that is just going to make us both miserable. If I can't make you fall in love with me again and I can't walk away from you, what should we do?"

Licht was silent as he thought over his words. He loved Hyde and he didn't want to see him leave again but he didn't want to be hurt either. Distancing himself from Hyde and burying his feelings was the most logical solution but the greedy part of Licht spoke instead. "We could try dating again."

"You're giving me a second chance?" Hyde cupped his cheeks and tilted his face so he could peer into his eyes. There was a hint of uncertainty and worry in them but the love in his blue eyes gave him hope. He thought that Licht was going to reject him again so this was more than he could wish for.

"I'm not giving you a second chance." Licht took his hands and forced them away from him but he didn't let them go. He just held his hands between them. "We can date without involving our feelings. I'm sure dating you will just remind me why I don't love you and you'll see you don't love me either. When the play is over, we'll leave each other without feeling anything."

"And if we fall in love again?" Hyde challenged, feeling hopeful again. Even if Licht said he wasn't giving him a second chance, he saw his proposal as one.

"That won't happen." Licht said firmly but knew that he was only lying to himself. "You can take me out to dinner tomorrow unless you don't want to date again. I need to go home before Mahiru's mom sense kicks in and he realizes I'm gone."

Licht finally let go of his hands and turned away from him. His heart was beating loudly in his ears and he was screaming at himself. What kind of idiot was he to agree to date Hyde again? He broke his heart. But over those words, he heard Hyde call after him. "Hey, Angel Cakes, if we're dating again, do I get a goodnight kiss?"

"Annoying Shit Rat." He looked over his shoulder at Hyde. In the dim moonlight, Licht could see his wide smile and he frowned in return. Turning sharply on his heel, Licht ran back to him and grabbed his scarf. Licht pulled him down roughly and pressed his lips to his. Just as quickly as he kissed him, he pushed him away. "That was revenge for stealing a goodnight kiss the other night."

Hyde was too surprised to react before Licht ran off again. As he walked away, he couldn't stop himself from looking back at him. Shock was clearly on his face and Licht bite his lip.  _It serves you right for making me have all these confusing feelings. Now you know how it feels._


	12. Chapter 12

Hyde's body rocked restlessly as he counted the rings until Licht picked up. He remembered the previous time he tried calling and held his breath as he waited for Licht to answer. He instantly snapped to attention when he heard his voice. "What do you want, Shit Rat? You interrupted my sleep so you better have a good reason."

"I just wanted to hear your voice." Hyde laughed, relieved that Licht was speaking with him. It was almost as if they were in high school again so it made him feel giddy. He was certain that he was smiling like a fool as well. The only thing that could make the moment more perfect was if he could see Licht too. "And I called to make sure that we're still having dinner tonight too."

"… Do you not want to go on a date anymore?" Licht asked slowly and Hyde was quick to correct him. He could hear the excitement in Hyde's voice but he was still conflicted. When Licht returned home, he couldn't sleep because his mind was filled with Hyde. He couldn't stand seeing Hyde walk away from him with his broken expression so he stopped him.

But only time would tell if that decision would doom him for more heartbreak.

"Hey, Lichtan, are you listening to me?" Hyde asked and Licht's answer was a mere grumble. He didn't let it affect his mood because he knew how irritated Licht could be in the morning and he went on. "I already made all the arrangements for tonight's date so you don't need to worry. Just let me take care of you. The reservation is for seven and I'll pick you up at the theater."

"When did you have time to set everything up?"

"I was so excited that I couldn't sleep last night so I decided to make the reservation. Now, you can't talk your way out of it by saying you forgot our date or saying you don't know where to eat. And make sure to dress warm." Hyde added and Licht wondered what he was planning. "I can't wait for our date, Angel Cakes! I'm going to make this one of the best night of your life. Wait, someone's coming."

Hyde quickly turned off his phone when he heard someone outside his door. There was a knock and he opened the door to find Kuro. It didn't seem like he heard his conversation but Hyde still tried to appear casual. "Lily finished breakfast. If you want any, you better come downstairs before World End steals it."

"I'll be down in a bit. I just need to finish some stuff. I actually have a date tonight so tell everyone that I'll probably come home late." Hyde's smile couldn't be larger as he took Kuro's hands in his. "And it's all thanks to you! When you talked to me yesterday, it gave me the courage to talk to Angel-chan about everything and we're having dinner tonight."

"Is that why you came home so late last night?" Kuro asked and Hyde nodded. He had been worried about his brother but, seeing him smile now, Kuro was relieved that things were going well. "So, what do you have planned with your angel?"

"A romantic date downtown." Hyde said, excitedly. It was rare for Kuro to show an interest in other people's lives but, seeing how happy his brother was, he wanted to help him. He wasn't an expert at romance but he nodded as Hyde explained his plan. "I just need to ask Lily to borrow his car."

"You do know that he'll try to follow your date and drag the entire family along, right?" Kuro laughed. Then, he took out his keys and dangled them in front of Hyde. "I'm almost out of gas and I don't feel like going to the station. Fill it up for me tonight? I'll tell them that you're not coming home because of your date over dinner so they won't have time to follow you."

"Really?" Hyde beamed as he held out his hand for the key. Kuro nodded and placed them in his palm with a rare smile. "Thank you, Kuro!"

"Don't get all sappy on me." Kuro groaned when Hyde ignored him and threw his arms around his neck. His brother had always been one for dramatics and he continued to thank him. With a weary smile, Kuro patted his head. "Can't deal. It's just a car so you can let me go now, Hyde. If you really want to thank me, there's something else you can do."

Hyde nodded before Kuro made his request. He didn't think it would be anything difficult so he was shocked when Kuro said, "Why don't you bring your angel home and introduce him to everyone? It'll show him how serious you're taking your relationship and everyone's curious about him. To steal from Mahiru; simply thinking, you should bring him home to meet everyone."

When Hyde stepped away from him, Kuro could see the hesitation in his eyes. He wondered if there was a reason he couldn't tell them who his angel was. But Hyde quickly gave him a hesitant smile that made Kuro worry more. "I'll talk to him about it. You guys might be a little surprise when you meet him."

* * *

"I have a meeting with my manager and I'm going to have dinner with him. Sorry, for telling you so late but it just slipped my mind until he called me this morning." Licht lied to his siblings as they were about to leave the theater. He hadn't lied to them since he was dating Hyde and he worried that they would be able to tell. Luckily, Mahiru didn't seem to notice.

"It's okay, Licht. You're an adult now so you don't need to look so guilty and it's just one less mouth to feed tonight." Mahiru patted his shoulder with an understanding smile. "You always had your head in the clouds unless it's about your piano. I'm surprised that you forgot about a meeting until this morning. We're not taking up too much of your time with this play, are we?"

"I already talked to my manager about it and told him that I wanted two months off. My next performance is in February but I'll still be able to come back for Misono's birthday." His career dominated most of his time but Licht always made sure to stay connected with his family. Traveling could be lonely so he always looked forward to seeing his family again. Surprisingly, when he pictured traveling with someone, Hyde came to mind and he shook his head. "Kranz's picking me up here so you guys go home first."

"Bring me back some desert if you're going to a restaurant." Misono ordered and the others laughed since they knew that Licht would probably eat it on the way home. He waved to them as they left the theater. Mikuni stopped at the door and faced him.

"Enjoy your date, Licht. Make sure to be careful tonight." He instructed which confused Licht.

"I'm not dating my manager." Licht denied with a frown.

"I know." Before Licht could respond, Mikuni ran off. "Wait, Misono, don't walk so close to the street!"

Licht went to the wing offstage to wait for Hyde. But he worried if they knew that he was lying as he walked. Mahiru and Misono seemed to believe him but Mikuni had always been too clever to trick. The question was how much he knew. He didn't say anything about Hyde so Licht thought Mikuni only knew that he was lying. He wondered how they would react if they knew he was going on a date with Hyde.

He was lost in thought so he didn't notice someone approach him from behind. Licht gasped when a hand clapped over his mouth and pulled him into the shadows. A curtain circled them and Licht tried to kick him but a strong arm around him kept him restrained. He only stopped resisting when a warm laugh brushed his ear. "Now, is that any way to greet me?"

"Hyde?" The arms around him loosened enough for Licht to turn and face Hyde. His teasing eyes were staring down at him so Licht knew that he was enjoying himself but Licht's heart was racing. He wanted to say that it was because he surprised him but he knew that it was because they were so close. Wrapped in the theater curtain, it was almost as if they were in their own world.

"You scared me." Licht made sure to keep his voice low so no one passing would hear him. If anyone found them hiding in the curtain, their secret would end before it even began. Gently, he punched Hyde's shoulder. "I swear the next time you do something like that, I'm going to kill you. Someone could've seen you. What were you thinking?"

"Don't worry, I made sure no one was in the wing before I kidnapped you. Anyways, I had to steal you away when you looked so upset. What happened?" Hyde lightly rubbed his thumb over Licht's brow and then let his hand ghost through his hair. His touch was always able to relax him so easily and Hyde didn't even know how much power he had over him.

"I forgot how hard lying to them was but I don't think they suspect anything." Licht told him and Hyde massaged his temple. He wished there was more he could do because he knew how important his family was to him. The only thing he could do now was to make Licht happy on their date. Hyde peaked out of the curtain and saw that no one else was in the wings.

"I parked my car in the back. You ready to sneak out of here?" He took Licht's hand and pulled him out of the curtain. There were still some workers in the theater but sneaking past them was almost second nature to them. Even after ten years, Licht was able to understand the subtle signals Hyde gave him. It was almost as if they were still in high school.

They made it to the back door and Hyde laughed heartily when he pushed open the door. He made sure that no one was in the parking lot before he pulled Licht to the car. Hyde opened the door for him like a gentleman and exaggeratedly gestured. "C'mon, Angel Cakes, your magical night awaits! Get in before your carriage turns back into a pumpkin."

"I thought you liked referencing Shakespeare, not fairy tales." Licht rolled his eyes but got into the car. Hyde closed the door after him and he could see how eager Hyde was. "Where are we eating?"

"Elio Locanda Italiana." Hyde told him as he pulled out of the parking lot and his jaw dropped. It was one of the best Italian restaurants in Japan and it was almost impossible to book a reservation on such short notice. "World End has a friend who works as a chef there. She got me a reservation. After we eat, I got a surprise for you."

"A surprise is never good when you're the one planning it." Licht rolled down the window and let the cold air wash over him. Being alone with Hyde in such a small space caused butterflies to enter his stomach and he tried to focus on something else. "What did you say when you asked your brother to borrow his car?"

"I told Kuro that I had a date with a beautiful angel. He doesn't know that it's you though." Hyde quickly added when he saw Licht frown. Lying to his family was difficult and he knew that it was the same for Licht. They couldn't tell their family the truth ten years ago but things were different now. Their families seemed to be closer and they were both adults who didn't need their parent's approval.

Hyde remembered what Kuro told him that morning. Then, he thought back to Licht's expression earlier. Maybe, they could tell their families now that they were closer. They wouldn't have to lie anymore. He certainly liked the thought of being able to tell people that he was dating Licht. But Hyde didn't know if Licht would agree with him.

* * *

"Kuro, what are you doing sitting here?" Mahiru was stepping off the bus with groceries when he saw Kuro sitting at the bus stop. It was late and he was alone so Mahiru worried that he had fallen asleep waiting for the bus. He reached out to touch his shoulder, "You're going to catch a cold out here."

He stopped when Kuro's hand closed around his wrist. His hand moved quickly but he slowly opened his eyes. When their eyes met, Kuro quickly let him go. "Sorry, I didn't know it was you. Don't sneak up on someone like that, Mahiru. That's how you're going to get yourself attacked. Did I hurt you?"

"I'm alright." Mahiru could see how apologetic Kuro was so he quickly tried to reassure him. Even after he shook his head, Kuro still looked unsure. "I know you didn't mean to and it doesn't hurt that much. I'm more worried about you sleeping out here. What are you doing out here at this hour? Usually, I have to drag you out of your house."

"My sister told me to pick up some milk and you really can't say no to her. I lent Hyde my car so between walking and the bus, the latter was the lesser of two evils. And, before you yell at me, I wasn't sleeping. I was just resting my eyes and listening for the bus." Kuro explained but Mahiru still frowned at him.

"Kuro, I just got off the last bus for tonight. Even if you got on it, there won't be one to take you back home. Really, you need to think these things through. You're lucky I found you before anyone else did." Mahiru held his hand out to him. "C'mon, I'll walk you home. Your house is on the way home and it's late so it's dangerous to be alone."

"You're going to protect me from the bogyman?" Kuro had to chuckle at Mahiru's insistence. With his reputation, he didn't think anyone would insist on protecting him. The thought amused him so he took the hand Mahiru held out to him. It was stronger than he thought it would be but he still took the bags hanging on Mahiru's arm. "I'll carry these while you fight off the bad guys."

"Don't make fun of me. I was going to be nice and let you have the milk I just bought but I guess I should let your sister yell at you." Mahiru pouted and Kuro chuckled. He knew that Mahiru was kind hearted and that he was bluffing. They fell into step next to each other and Kuro looked down at Mahiru free hand. He didn't know the thought of holding it came to his mind and quickly shook his head.

"How about you give me that milk and I walk you home? You did say that it's dangerous to walk alone in the dark." Kuro bargained. They lived in a small town so it was rare for robberies and attacks to occur yet Kuro still found himself offering to walk Mahiru home. He rarely went out of his way for anyone but he found himself wanting to spend more time with Mahiru.

"You know this is going to end up in a circle, right? When we reach my house, I'm going to worry about you and walk you back home. But then you'll try to walk me home again and so on." Mahiru pointed out with a wry smile. "I appreciate how much you care but it's okay. I'll be fine on my own and you're already helping me by carrying everything."

"I guess…" Kuro nodded. He knew that Mahiru was right and he should be relieved that he didn't have to walk but there was a sting of disappointment in his stomach.

"I wonder who that is." He looked up at Mahiru's words. There was a man standing at the street corner that neither of them recognize. They lived in a small town and tourists hardly visited so it was rare that they didn't recognize someone. The man must've noticed them staring because he turned to them. After a moment, recognition sparked on his face and he ran to them.

"Are you Mahiru?" He asked once he was in front of them and Mahiru hesitantly nodded. Kuro lightly took Mahiru's arm and pulled him behind him slightly. The man saw the protective spark in his red eyes and stepped back. He took out a business card from his pocket and held it out to them.

"I'm sorry, I must've confused you by approaching you so suddenly. I'm Kranz Rosen, Licht's manager. He talks about his brothers a lot and shows me pictures so I recognized you. I got lost trying to find his home so I'm glad I bumped into you. Something came up and he's not picking up his phone so I decided to come down to see him."

"Did something happen to Licht?" Mahiru instantly stiffened and Kuro placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "He said that he was going to have dinner with you."

"Dinner? I did want to talk to him but we didn't arrange a meeting. He doesn't even know that I came to your town. I thought that he got too into his piano practice to pick up his phone again." Kranz was confused but not as much as Mahiru. He knew that Licht would never lie to him but Kranz seemed to be telling him the truth.

So, where was Licht now?

"I'm going to find Licht. Kuro, can you stay with Kranz?" Mahiru started to rush away but Kuro took his hand. He intended to stop him but Kuro could see the confusion and slight fear in his brown eyes.

"I'll help you."


	13. Chapter 13

"What do you mean you're closed." Hyde couldn't believe his luck. A pipe had burst and flooded the restaurant the night of his date with Licht. They had to close to fix it and they didn't know how long it would take so they wouldn't be able to serve dinner. Eva, World End's friend, bowed repeatedly as she apologized. He knew that it wasn't her fault but he was still disappointed.

"Stop pouting, Shit Rat. She already said she was sorry and there's nothing anyone can do." Licht kicked him lightly to bring Hyde's attention back to him. He could see the disappointment on his face and he knew Hyde would pout about it for the rest of their date. "You're making a big deal out of nothing. We'll just go eat somewhere else. I'm sure we'll find something if we walk around."

"Wait, Lichtan, don't go walking off on your own! We haven't been home in a while and you'll get lost." Hyde quickly ran after him. He took Licht's hand before he could walk too far from him and Hyde was glad that he didn't try to pull away from him. He considered going back to the car and drive around the block to find somewhere to eat but he liked walking next to Licht more.

"So, what do you feel like having? It probably won't be that fancy because it's so late and every place is crowded." Hyde looked at the restaurants they passed but Licht didn't seem interested in any of them. He was hungry but he was perfectly content with walking with Licht. His surprise wouldn't be ready for another hour or so anyways. "How about Korean barbeque?"

"Everything has changed so much. There used to be a bookshop place there but it's a Korean barbeque now." Licht pointed to a small building. Even though the town was small, it had changed so much since they left. He knew that was the same for both of them but one thing hadn't changed. Hyde still made his heart race, even while they were doing something as simple as walking down the street.

Licht looked down at their joined hands where Hyde was brushing his thumb over his knuckles. He was wearing gloves but he could feel his light touch easily. If they were back in high school, Licht would lean into his arm a little but he stopped himself now. As they walked, Hyde spoke to him but Licht couldn't concentrate on any of the options. His nerves were taking away his appetite.

"Lichtan, how about that?" He finally looked up when Hyde said his name. Hyde gestured to a crepe stand across the street and Licht's stomach growled in reaction. While Licht face flushed a little, Hyde burst out into laughter which earned him a quick kick. "I'm sorry. You were just too cute. C'mon, don't be mad. I'll buy you whatever flavour you want. I know it's more desert than dinner."

"It's perfect." Licht barely looked for cars before he walked across the street. Hyde smiled at his enthusiasm and rushed to keep pace with him. Despite the dark scowl, Licht could be childish at heart and loved sweets. It made him more interesting and entertaining than others. Watching his expression as he scanned the crepe flavours was better than any movie, to Hyde.

"Let me pay for us. I want to treat you after messing up with the reservation." Hyde took out his wallet after Licht picked a crepe.

"Do what you want, Shit Rat. We should find somewhere to sit and eat." Licht scanned the sidewalk for a bench they could use. Hyde's phone rang and he smiled as he read the message. He had to wonder who the text was from and Licht could feel himself becoming a little jealous. "Was that you siblings? I thought you told them you were on a date."

"It's from a friend. I asked him to text me when your surprise is ready. You'll like it. Let's eat our crepes on the way there." Hyde gestured for him to follow him. He had a confident grin as he walked and Licht could only guess at what it was. Considering how eccentric Hyde could be at times, he hoped that it wasn't anything too weird.

Licht ate his crepe with one hand and he glanced at Hyde from the corner of his eyes. Without a word, he brushed his hand against Hyde's. He looked surprised for a moment but he seemed to know what Licht wanted even without him saying a word. He wrapped his hand around his though he wished that they weren't wearing gloves so he could feel his skin.

They entered the park and Licht was surprised that it hadn't changed much. There were only a few people in the park because it was dark and cold. Licht was surprised that the path was clear of snow despite how late it was. Excitedly, Hyde pulled him forward to the center of the park.

Licht's jaw dropped when he saw the horse and open carriage waiting for them. Their town was small and didn't have any attractions in their park. He walked to the horse and gently petted his nose. "What are you doing here, Mr. Horse? You should be resting. Did the mean demon steal you from the farm?"

Hyde burst out into laughter, not offended in the least. "I didn't steal him. I called in a few favours and set up this midnight ride for us. I got them to clear the path so it should be safe too. Come here, Lichtan, I'll help you on."

"Is your friend driving as well?" Licht asked when he saw that they were the only two people in the area. Hyde chuckled at his assumption which should've told him to run. Instead, Licht placed his hand in his and let him help him into the carriage. Then Hyde climbed onto the driver's bench and took the reins. With a subtle flick of his wrists, he set the carriage into motion.

"I wanted it to be just us so I'm going to take you around the park myself." Hyde looked over his shoulder to grin at Licht behind him. "I learned how drive one of these things for a movie. Don't worry, you're in good hands."

" _The Muses_? I thought that chase scene was fake." Hyde's eyes widened a little when Licht correctly named the movie he starred in. A slow smile spread across his face and Licht realized his mistake. "Don't think I followed your career or anything. My manager is a fan and he always puts on your movies in the hotel. There was nothing else on so I watched with him."

"You two shared a hotel room?" Hyde frowned and Licht reassured him.

"There's nothing between us. It was just to save money and to make sure I didn't stay up late practising. Really, he's twice my age and acts more like a babysitter than my manager. He watched your movies while he waited for me to finish practise and tells me about them." Licht could see Hyde's shoulder relax a little.

"Kinda feel bad for any guy with the job of babysitting you. No one can control my delusional angel and you walk to the beat of your own drum." Hyde laughed. He held out his arm. "Hey, you want to sit with me here? Just hold onto my arm and climb over."

"Said the guy who's trying to date me again." Licht took his arm and climbed over seat rail. When he lost his balance a little, Hyde wrapped his arm around his waist and pulled him close to his side. He blushed a little but he couldn't pull away from him on the small bench.

"Don't say it like that, Lichtan. I wouldn't want you to change or control you. Here, you want to try it out? It should be easy for now because you only need to keep on track." Hyde held out the reins to him. He took off his mittens so he could hold the reins better. Beside him, Hyde instructed him how to guide the horse through the park.

Hyde could see Licht's hand become red. He wrapped his arms around his body and took his hands in his. "I can't let a pianist's hand get frostbite. Let me warm them up for you." Hyde's warm breath brushed against his ear. Licht leaned his head against his shoulder and into his body heat.

He hated to admit that he was having fun with Hyde again but he was.

* * *

"Lily, I'm going to borrow your car!" Kuro ran into his home and yelled down the hallway. He didn't wait for Lily to answer him before he swiped the keys from the key bowl next to the door. The Servamp's home was closer so they decided to borrow Lily's car but Kuro could feel Mahiru's impatient worsening. From the corner of his eyes, he watched Mahiru pace outside the door and he could see the worry clouding his eyes.

Mahiru was glad that Kuro seemed compose as he ran out to him. Seeing him so calm helped quiet Mahiru's nerves a little. Kuro took his arm gently and guided him to the car parked in the driveway. He opened the passenger door from him because he looked frazzled. "Do you have any idea where Licht could be? We'll start looking there and then go around town."

"… I don't know. Licht said that he was going to have dinner with his manager and there's no reason for him to lie." Mahiru told him and his mind was racing, trying to think of where Licht could be. "I tried calling him a million times but he's not answering. What if he's hurt? What if he's meeting with someone and he can't tell me? What if—"

"You're going to drive yourself crazy if you keep thinking like that." Kuro stopped him. Even though he knew that Kuro was right, Mahiru couldn't help but scan the dark streets as they drove. "Licht is going to be okay, Mahiru. Even if he's in trouble, he's strong enough to take care of himself. I've had to stop his fights so I know how strong he is."

"I just don't understand why he would lie to me about going to have dinner with Kranz. He never lied to me before." Mahiru looked down at his phone on his lap. He tried calling Licht again but it rang until it went to voicemail again. "He only misses these many calls when he's distracted by something he loved. His piano is at home and Tetsu said that he's not borrowing the theater's piano."

Kuro could see Mahiru's knuckled become white from gripping his phone so much and wanted to comfort him but he didn't know how. He didn't know much about the family aside from what his father told him and that was obviously unreliable. Keeping his eyes on the road, he reached a hand over and squeezed Mahiru's hand. "It's going to be alright. We're going to find him."

"Thank you, Kuro." Mahiru said softly and the small, comforting gesture made his heart warm. When Kuro took his hand back, Mahiru had to stop himself from taking it again. "You must think that I'm this mother hen that over reacts to everything. Licht is an adult but I still worry about him."

"You're his brother so I understand. I was probably worse than you when it came to worrying. After our father died, my siblings kinda started to run wild. I was just a teenager and I didn't have a clue about what to do for them. Every time one of the younger ones would disappear or wonder, I would panic. But I realized that wouldn't help anyone and I forced myself to stay calm. They always came home."

"They all turned out to be good people. You did a great job as their brother." Mahiru turned to him with the compliment. He always thought that Kuro was different from his mother's stories but he couldn't guess how similar they were. Kuro was surprisingly reliable despite how lazy he appeared at times. "Thank you for helping me. I don't know what I would've done if you weren't there. Probably continue to panic and have my brothers turn this town upside down for Licht."

"Now that would be an interesting story to hear during rehearsals tomorrow." Kuro chuckled and Mahiru found himself laughing along with him lightly. "Did you text you brothers to tell them?"

"I don't want to worry them until I have more information." Mahiru looked down at his lap again. "Our mother died in a car accident. She said that she was just going to the corner store to pick something up. So, we were all shocked when we got a call that she was in an accident on the other side of town. We don't know why she was there or why she lied to us. If the same thing happens to Licht…"

Mahiru's words trailed off and Kuro could understand why he panicked so much when he learned that Licht lied to him. "We'll find him, I promise. Then you can read him the riot act for worrying you like this. If my siblings taught me anything, it's that they're never too old to be lectured. Of course, Wrath and Hugh are usually the one that gives the lectures. Too troublesome for me."

"You talk about yourself like that a lot but you're actually a decent person." Mahiru chuckled because he knew that Kuro was most likely trying to cheer him up. He was still worried about Licht but having Kuro next to him made him feel better. "You're helping me when you don't need to."

"I couldn't just leave you like that. It'll be troublesome for me." Kuro shrugged and tried to brush off his words. Honestly, he didn't know why he was going out of his way for him but Mahiru knew that there was kindness beneath his actions. "Let's focus on finding Licht. Maybe he did go out to dinner but mixed up who he was supposed to meet. Do you know which restaurant he might be at?"

"Licht said he was going to a meeting and I imagine he might go to one of the fancier restaurants rather than something casual. We can start by looking downtown." Mahiru suggested and Kuro nodded. With a destination in mind, they drove to the main road. There was still something on Mahiru's mind and he sighed. "I wonder who he was meeting that he had to lie."

"We'll ask him when we find him. If you want, I can use my big brother voice and scare him into not lying to you ever again. Then again, your Ma-Mahiru voice will probably be enough." Kuro joked to ease the mood and Mahiru lightly punched his arm. "Hey, I'm driving here. I was joking so there's no need to hit me like that."

"Seriously, you and everyone always make fun of me for that. I know you're trying to make me feel better but try joking about something else." Mahiru pouted and turned to look out the window. "I'm still a little worried about how we're going to find Licht. We can't go into every restaurant looking for him and cause a disturbance. If only he took our car. It'll be easier to find that."

"Finding him is going to be troublesome, isn't it? Right now, the only thing we can do is look in restaurants like a pair of stalkers." Kuro parked the car. As Mahiru stepped out of the car, he tried calling Licht's cellphone again. They were both surprised when they heard a ringtone chime softly through air. Mahiru recognized it instantly and he followed it.

"That's his ringtone." Mahiru told Kuro as he stopped in front of a car. There wasn't anyone in the car but he could see Licht's phone in the passenger seat. If his phone was here, where was Licht? "Do you know who owns this car? He must be the person Licht is with right now. We need to find out who he is."

Kuro couldn't answer Mahiru for a moment. He easily recognized the car because it belonged to him. That morning he had given it to Hyde so he could take his angel on a date. Slowly, pieces began to fall into place and Kuro's brows furrowed. He took Mahiru's hand and began to pull him away. "I know where they are."

* * *

"Careful there, Angel Cakes." Hyde climbed off the carriage first and reached out to him to help him down. Licht was about to place his hand in his and gasped when Hyde wrapped his hands around his waist. He pitched forward but Hyde caught him and he wrapped his arms around his neck in return. His heart jumped a little when he realized how close they were.

"You told me to be careful but you almost made me break my neck." Licht clicked his tongue. Even though his feet were safely on the ground again, Licht didn't take his arms from his neck. Hyde grinned down at him and twirled his white hair around his finger. Licht took a step backwards but he was stopped by the carriage. Hyde closed the space between them and he breath brushed over his lips.

"You know I would never let you fall. Did you have a fun ride?" Hyde asked but Licht knew that he was most likely teasing him from his grin. He couldn't answer him for a moment and Hyde touched his cheek. "I know what will make this better. I brought a bag of treats you can feed Mr. Horse."

Hyde reached past him and into the carriage. He pulled out a bag with a mischievous smirk that made Licht more flustered. He hid it behind a hard glare and took the bag from Hyde. He only chuckled at Licht's reaction and watched him feed the horse. With a gentle hand, he stroked the horse's neck. "Here you go, Mr. Horse. This is your reward for pulling the carriage. I had fun."

"Don't I get a reward too. It was my idea to go on a winter carriage ride, after all." Hyde placed his hand over his. He lifted Licht's chin and his heart raced when Licht didn't pull away from him. His blue eyes drifted close and Licht found himself leaning into Hyde for a kiss. He wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him closer. He whispered against his lips, "Licht, I love you."

"Hyde, I…" He started to respond but they both jumped a part when they heard someone approach them. Licht slipped on the snow and Hyde caught his arm to stop him. They both ended up falling into the snow with Hyde on top of him. Before he could stand, they heard someone scream.

"Hyde, what are you doing to my brother?" Hyde groaned as he looked over his shoulder to face Mahiru. He didn't know how to explain after being caught in such a compromising position with Licht beneath him. None of them spoke for a moment, all too shock to say anything.

"My brother was taking his angel out on a date." Kuro spoke in an even voice and stepped forward. He held out a hand to Hyde to help him stand. Seeing Licht's phone in his car, he pieced together who Hyde's angel was. A part of him was still surprised but finding them together confirmed his suspicion. Still, Kuro needed to hear Hyde tell him. "How long, Hyde?"

Hyde glanced at Licht and he could see the panic in his eyes. His mind was racing couldn't think of any feasible lie. They didn't have any choice but to tell the truth and Hyde helped Licht to his feet. He didn't let go of his hand and gave Licht a reassuring squeeze before he started. "We started dating in high school…"

Mahiru listened to their story. He was in disbelief and didn't know how to respond even after Hyde finished. For almost ten years, his brother had been lying to him. Licht wouldn't look at him now and that hurt Mahiru all the more. Everyone turned to Mahiru for his reaction because Kuro appeared mostly indifferent to the revelation.

Mahiru stomped forward and stopped in front of Hyde. Quicker than anyone could react, he slapped Hyde across the face. His hand stung but he still lifted a glare at him. "That was for hurting my brother and not telling us sooner. At the party, I confronted you and told you that someone broke Licht's heart. If only I knew that you were that person then. I can't believe you hid this from me, Licht."

"I'm sorry, this is my fault. I didn't know how to tell you and we knew you would be angry." Hyde apologized and stood in front of Licht, as if to protect him from Mahiru's anger. "I know you won't believe me after everything that happened but I really want a second chance with Licht. I love him."

"… A second chance after you broke his heart?" Mahiru hands tightened into fists but he stopped himself from lashing out again. He knew that he was just being protective of Licht and the anger he felt was because he felt hurt by Licht's lies. "If you want a second chance, you better do things right this time. Make Licht happy. Tell  _both_  of our families. No more lies."

Mahiru turned to Licht and wished that he would face him. "Most importantly, Licht, I want you to tell me that this is what you want. If you love Hyde, I'll support you. I just want to know what made you lie to us about your relationship. Licht?"

"… I'm sorry I lied to you, Mahiru. And I'm sorry I don't have an answer for you now. I need to think about this." Licht backed away from him. Then he turned and dashed deeper into the park. Hyde immediately ran after him. Mahiru started to run after them but Kuro caught his arm, stopping him.

"Let them figure things out for themselves." Kuro said softly and Mahiru reluctantly nodded. "How about we go back to the car before you freeze your fingers off? I'll text Hyde and tell him to meet us in the parking lot once they talk things out. Trust Hyde, he's serious about his angel."


	14. Chapter 14

"Wait, don't run away, Lichtan!" Hyde screamed his name as he raced after him. Hearing his voice, Licht slowed his steps a little but then ran forward again. He knew he shouldn't look back at him but he did. He glanced over his shoulder and their eyes met. Seeing the mixed emotions in his blue eyes, Hyde hesitated and stumbled face first into the snow.

Hyde groaned at himself and didn't lift his face from the snow. Of all the times he could make a fool of himself, it had to be that moment? He knew that if he looked up, he would see Licht run from him. He heard his footsteps in the snow but they were slower than he thought they would be. Hyde looked up cautiously and saw Licht standing a few feet in front of him. "Lichtan?"

"Die, Shit Rat!" Licht kicked snow into his face. He stomped forward and fell to his knees in front of him. Then, he gathered snow haphazardly and threw the clumps at Hyde. "I was getting along just fine for ten years without you but you just had to come back and make me feel like this again. I hate you! You act like you didn't leave and break my heart. Then, you somehow trick me. Now look at this mess we're in."

"I didn't mean for them to find us like that." Hyde argued as he tried to protect himself from Licht's attacks. He quickly sat up and grabbed his wrists to stop him but Licht stubbornly tried to wrestle out of his hold. His grip slipped and Licht pounded his fists against his chest. The attacks were half hearted and Hyde could see his lips tremble so he let him continue hitting him.

Eventually, Licht stopped and he leaned forward to rest his forehead against his chest. His body was still a little stiff so Hyde didn't know what he should do. He hesitantly stroked his hair and felt Licht pull away a little. After a moment, he leaned back into him and wrapped his arms around his waist. "It's going to be okay, Licht. Mahiru's reaction wasn't even that bad."

"… It wasn't." Licht agreed and bit his lip. "If it was ten years ago, I would be relieved that he was so understanding. We could be together and I won't have to lie to my family about us anymore. That was what I wanted when we were teenagers. But when he asked if you're what I wanted, I didn't have a simple answer to that. I don't know what I want with you anymore."

Ever since he was a child, Licht knew what he wanted out of life. He wanted to play his piano for the world. He wanted to talk to animals. He wanted to fly in the sky. Once upon a time, he would say he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Hyde. He always worked hard to achieve his goals so hesitating like he was doing now was new to him.

"You scare me, Hyde." Licht admitted in a small voice. "I want you but you scare me to death."

" _Where love is great, the littlest doubts are fear. When little fears grow great, great love grows there._ " Hyde quoted and Licht leaned away from him. He hadn't quoted Shakespeare since he promised that he wouldn't. Licht started to turn away but Hyde cupped his cheek to stop him. "I guess that's why people do stupid things when they're in love. Like how I ran away ten years ago."

"I don't want to hear about that!" Licht yelled reflexively. A part of him had always been afraid to learn the reason Hyde left him. He didn't want to know that there was something he loved more than him that he would throw away their relationship for it. "I never know what you want or if you're being honest with me. You said you wanted me but then you left. Every time I try to talk honestly with you, you just quote Shakespeare! We're not some great Shakespearean romance."

"I don't want a love found in his plays. I want you." Hyde started slowly. He was struggling to find the words that would fit his feelings perfectly because he knew Licht would slip through his fingers if he didn't. He held his hands tightly in his. "I knew I wasn't good enough for you and I couldn't believe someone as wonderful as you would choose me. I didn't want to say the wrong thing and lose you."

"Then why did you leave me?" Licht asked even though he dreaded hearing his answer. "And don't use some stupid quote to explain."

"I left you a letter explaining everything. It's ironic that the one time I put my honest feelings into words, you didn't bother to read them." Hyde looked down at their joined hands on his lap. "The night before we were going to elope, I realized something. I was just a nobody actor with no future. If we eloped, you'll have to give up so much. Your family might not accept us even if we got married. I would be holding you back from your dream of being a pianist as well."

"So, leaving me and hurting me was the solution? You decided that on your own when it came to  _our_  future? Why didn't you just talk to me about how you felt instead of running like you always do? I would've told how stupid you were being!" Licht screamed and hit him over the head. "How many times do I have to tell you to fight for what you want?"

"That what I was doing by walking away!" Hyde saw confusion cross Licht's face and he knew how foolish his decision was with hindsight. "At least that what I thought. I left to become someone that was worthy of you. The plan was to become an actor that shined as bright as you did and I'll be able to support you financially. I always intended to come back for you once I became famous."

"I'm the one that decides if you're worthy. To me, you always shined like a star. I wouldn't have dated you if I didn't think that." Licht said. "When you asked me to marry you, I thought I could've had everything I wanted. It would've been hard but I wouldn't have given up and run away like you did."

"If you still want all those things, can we try again? I promise I won't run away this time. These past weeks of me chasing you should be enough to prove that. Aside from our brothers walking in on us, our date was fun too. This time, I'll give you everything you want if you give me a second chance. Please, I love you, Licht." Hyde's honest eyes bore into his and Licht felt his heart tighten. Those simple words weren't as elaborate as the quotes he would use but they were Hyde's honest feelings.

"We can't go back to the time we were high school sweethearts. Things have changed too much for that." Licht said and he saw Hyde's expression fall. Gently, he took his hands and realized that both of them were trembling a little. He didn't know if it was because of the cold or their nervousness. "But we can try again. All those things I wanted when we were teenagers, I still want them."

Hyde gathered him in his arms and smothered his against his chest. He rained kissed onto Licht hair as he rocked him in his arms. He was afraid to hear his answer because he thought he was going to reject him. When Licht tapped on his chest, he loosened his hold on him but didn't let him go. Licht leaned away from him slightly and spoke firmly.

"Hold on. This doesn't mean that I'm planning on walking down the aisle with you again. This is just a second chance and nothing more." Licht had to admit that he was still cautious of having his heart broken again. His words didn't seem to deter Hyde because he still had a grateful smile on his face. That smile pulled at his heart and Licht muttered, "My family's going to say I'm crazy for doing this."

"Don't worry, I'll do everything I can to make them accept us. I'm not going to let anything ruin this second chance with you." Hyde kissed his lips briefly to seal the promise. "I love you so much, Licht."

Licht was still afraid to say the words back but he raised their tangled fingers to his lips and kissed him softly. Hyde could understand why Licht was still hesitant to fully open himself up to him again. Hopefully, he would be able to win back his trust with time. Licht did admit that he still wanted him. "I guess we need to figure out how to explain our families."

"They're going to be surprised and I doubt they'll all react as well as Mahiru did." Hyde stood and held out his hands to him. He took his hand and let him pull him to his feet. Hyde tugged on his hand a little harder than he needed to and pulled him against his chest. With a sly grin, he wrapped his arms around his waist and kissed his forehead. "Thank you for this second chance."

"Don't push for too much. Let's head back before our brothers start looking for us." Licht turned away from him and stepped out of his arms. But he held his out his hand for him to hold as they walked back. Even though weren't walking as closely as they would in the past, Hyde was grateful to be with him.

"How about we have breakfast tomorrow? We can talk about how we'll tell the rest of our family about us. It'll give you a night to sleep on everything that happened tonight and process." Hyde suggested. Licht was glad that he wasn't pushing him too much and squeezed his hand. Even if it was a ploy to coax a breakfast date out of him, he liked to think that Hyde was thinking of him.

"You planned tonight's date so I'll choose where to eat for breakfast. I'll text you tomorrow where. If you sleep in and miss my text, I'll just go out without you." Licht tried to appear nonchalant but Hyde grinned knowingly at him. That smile melted his heart and he couldn't maintain his disinterested expression. They were almost to the parking lot and Licht reluctantly let go of his hand.

"I'm sorry our date didn't end on the best note." Hyde knew they would have to go their separate ways once they reached the parking lot. He saw how uncertain Licht still was so he wanted to reassure him. "If Mahiru reads you the riot act for our relationship, you can call me and talk about it later. You know I'll always pick up for you."

"Thanks. Mahiru will want to talk to me about this but I doubt he'll yell at me." Licht gently brushed Hyde's bangs aside so he could look into his eyes. There was a tenderness and a hint of worry in them. "I'll call you later to tell you how it went so you don't need to worry about me."

Kuro and Mahiru were leaning against his car and talking. When they noticed Hyde and Licht, Mahiru immediately ran to them. He stopped before he reached them and an awkward atmosphere settled around them. He wrung his hands together because he didn't know what to say. "… Hyde, I'm sorry for slapping you. If you two worked things out, we should get home. Its been a long night."

"It's alright." Hyde chuckled and placed his hand over his cheek.

"Hyde, give Mahiru my keys. I'll take you home in Lily's car and he'll use my car." Kuro instructed. He didn't want to leave one of their cars in the parking lot and he trusted Mahiru. "Just drive it over to my place tomorrow morning."

"Are you sure?" Mahiru asked and Kuro nodded without a word. But Hyde didn't hand the keys to him immediately and went to open the passenger door for Licht instead. He wanted to spend a little more time with him. Licht seemed to know his intention and paused next to him.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Licht sat in the passenger seat but he stopped Hyde from closing the door.

"Hyde, the letter you wrote. I never received it. Where did you leave it?" Licht didn't know if reading the letter would change anything because he already decided to give him a second chance. But Hyde said that he wrote his honest feelings in it and he wanted to read them. Hyde raised a brow at his question. He assumed that Licht found his letter after his brother told him he left town and never read it out of anger.

"I sneaked into your room and tucked it into the music sheets on your piano. You play your piano every morning so I thought you would find it then. I didn't mean to make you wait in the snow like that." Hyde told him and Licht nodded.

"It's okay. We can't change the past so look forward." They both wanted to speak with him a little more but they were could feel their brothers watching them. Hyde kissed his cheek quickly but the feeling of his lips seemed to linger to Licht. He touched his hand before closing the door between them.

Hyde threw Mahiru the car key before going to his brother. As he slid into Lily's car, he kept his eyes on Licht driving away. Kuro waited for them to be out of sight before he spoke to his brother. He reached over and flicked his ear to get his attention. "Hey! What was that for Kuro?"

"Lying to your family; making me drive all over town for you; and upsetting Mahiru." Kuro listed as he started the car. His voice wasn't overly stern but Hyde still pouted at him. "Mahiru just found out about you two and he probably wants to talk with Licht. He's trying to process you two in a relationship and you had to show off with that kiss."

"Worried about Mahiru's feelings? Maybe I'm not the only one that's in love with an Eve." Hyde said and Kuro rolled his eyes. Kuro could never bring himself to lecture his siblings despite it being his job as the eldest. He merely brushed off his teasing words and reached over to ruffled his hair. If his brother was happy, that was all that mattered to him.

* * *

"… So, you and Hyde?" Mahiru started uncertainly after a few minutes of silent driving. He didn't know where to begin. Hyde already explained their history but he wanted to hear Licht's perspective. From the corner of his eyes, Mahiru saw Licht touch his cheek where Hyde kissed him earlier.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I didn't know how to." Licht said softly. A part of Mahiru understood why he didn't tell him about their relationship in high school. Their mother's death and all the warnings she gave them were still fresh in their mind. After preparing for the play with the Servamps, he got to know them beyond the stories their mother told them.

"Does he make you happy?"

"Sometimes he frustrates me with his halfhearted attitude. Other times, I wonder why I put up with him with how annoying and moody he can be. But, in the end, he made me so happy, made me laugh and he supported everything I wanted to do. That's why it hurt so much when he left. I lost my partner, the one person I thought I could always depend on." Licht didn't know if Mahiru would believe him. "Even if he was being a short sighted idiot when he left, he was thinking of me."

"This is your life and your relationship so it's ultimately your choice if you want to give Hyde a second chance. I already said I would support you but I'm just worried about you being hurt again. He left once. Do you trust him?"

"I do." Licht found the words surprisingly easy to say despite how nervous he was earlier. "I want to try again. We're going to talk over breakfast tomorrow about how to tell everyone. Please don't tell Mikuni and Misono until we agree on something. We're going to tell everyone, don't worry. If Hyde does try to run away, I'll drag him back."

"I never did like leaving things unfinished." Mahiru chuckled. Then he sighed when he saw Licht's serious expression. "I really hate to lie to them but I'll cover for you tomorrow. If you need anything else from me, even if it's just to talk, I'm here for you."

"Thanks Mahiru," Licht smiled and he felt a weight leave his shoulders. He hoped that his other siblings would react as well as he did.

* * *

Misono rubbed his tired eyes as he read over his mother's diary for what felt like the millionth time. No matter how many times he poured over the entries, he couldn't find any hint of where they buried the chest. Of course, his mother claimed that it wasn't where they buried it so he didn't know anything written in the diary would be of help.

He promised Tetsu that he would help him find the chest so he continued to look through the books. Misono thought that the two families were getting along well enough so he didn't know if they needed to find the chest. He remembered the expression he had when he said he felt guilty for causing a fight between Mahiru and Hyde. There didn't seem to be any tension between them so he wondered what they fought about.

Misono told himself that he would ask Mahiru about it later and flipped to the beginning of their mother's diary. There was a picture of his mother when she was a teenager taped to the inside cover. It was a rather mundane photo of her in front of a tree. He lifted it carefully and studied the photo. He turned the picture in his hand, knowing that his mother would often write descriptions on the back of photos.

There was a small map doodled onto the back and Misono brows furrowed as he tried to piece together what it was for.


	15. Chapter 15

"I told you, I'm okay so stop worrying about nothing like an idiot." Licht said as he flipped through his music sheets. The moment he arrived home, Hyde called him to check on him. Licht had to admit that he wanted to hear his voice after the whole ordeal. "You know how Mahiru is. He lectured me a bit and he had a few questions but he would never hurt me."

"I know but I just wanted to make sure you were alright." His voice was soft with concern and it made Licht pause for a moment. Hyde was always able to change his mood even if it was with something as small and simple as words. He hadn't realized how much he missed him until Hyde re-entered his life and he made his heart fluttered with ever little thing he did. "And I wanted to hear your voice before bed."

"Disgusting." Licht clicked his tongue. He was glad that Hyde couldn't see his expression because they were speaking over the phone. He was certain that Hyde would tease him if he could see that he was blushing. He didn't know how Hyde was able to say the corniest things with sincerity but it was something he surprisingly loved about him even though he would never admit it.

He wondered if the letter he wrote him would be corny and he closed the music sheets book with a sigh. Licht looked through most of his music sheet collection but he hadn't found his letter yet. He wasn't worried that Hyde lied to him about the letter but that it was lost in time. "Do you remember what song the sheets were for?"

"I didn't really check but you were working on one of Mozart's pieces for a concert at the time, weren't you? Maybe it's one of his work." Hyde suggested. It had been years so he wouldn't have blamed him for not knowing but he remembered his concert. He must've known his thoughts because he added, "I do listen whenever you tell me stuff. I love hearing your voice so of course I pay attention."

"Once again, disgusting." Licht rolled his eyes but there was a soft smile on his lips. He gathered the music sheets littering his bed and put them away in his desk. None of them held Hyde's letter but he knew that most of his old music sheets were stored away in the house. He tried to be quiet as he left his room because it was late and his brothers were sleeping.

"You did have a lot of music sheets so it might be hard to look through them all by yourself. How about I come over and help you look through them? Maybe I can stay over too because it's so late?" Hyde proposed and Licht rolled his eyes because his intentions were so transparent. He went to the living room and pulled out a box from the closet.

"Please don't come over. We have rehearsals tomorrow. I'll only be looking for a few more minutes anyways so just go to sleep first." He said and he was glad that Hyde didn't try to convince him.

"We should both go to bed early. Don't wanna sleep in and miss our breakfast date. I can't wait for it and I might not even go to sleep tonight." Hyde said excitedly and Licht could easily imagine the expression he had. Imagining it made him chuckle a little. Then he said softly, "I love you, Lichtan. Sleep tight and dream of me."

Licht couldn't say he loved him back but he whispered. "Goodnight, Hyde."

He disconnected their call and stared at the screen for a moment. Even though they just finished talking, Licht felt as if their conversation ended all too soon to him. He sighed because he knew that he wanted to hear Hyde's voice a little more. He never realized how much he missed their late night talks. Even something as mundane as Hyde telling him goodnight and saying that he loved him tugged at his heart with nostalgia.

Licht set aside his phone and began to leaf through the music sheets he had stored away. He believed Hyde's words but he wanted to read the letter he gave him. If only he had found it that morning, he could've stopped him from leaving and told him exactly how he felt. They wouldn't have wasted nine years feeling hurt and running.

"What are you doing at this time of night?" Licht turned sharply to see Mikuni standing in the doorway. He didn't hear him enter or leave his room so he had to wonder how long he had been there. He only hoped that Mikuni hadn't heard his conversation with Hyde. "You were out pretty late too. Mahiru's going to lecture you for not getting enough sleep."

"I was just looking for one of my old music sheets." Licht told him. It didn't seem like Mikuni knew anything but he was still cautious with his words. "I can't find the song I want in my room or in this pile. Did you guys move my old music sheets somewhere after I moved out?"

"Are you only looking for music sheets?" Mikuni asked slowly and Licht's back straightened at his tone. It was rare for Mikuni to sound so serious. "Mahiru bumped into your manager earlier tonight. He was looking for you. Mahiru told him to go to a hotel and you'll call him later. But he stopped by our house and we talked a little. He left an hour before you two came home."

Licht's mind was racing as he tried to think of an explanation. He had been so busy that he hadn't returned any of Kranz's calls or texts but he never expected his manager to fly to his hometown. Kranz didn't know about his relationship with Hyde so he couldn't tell Mikuni about it. But Licht began to feel concerned as his eyes bore into him.

"Something came up and I didn't call him to cancel our meeting. He must've been worried but it's alright. He didn't bore you too much when he came over, did he? He likes to go on and on about a lot of useless things." Licht tried to keep his voice casual. He didn't know why Kranz came or what he could talk to Mikuni about.

"We just talked." Mikuni shrugged. "But that 'something' that came up… was it a Servamp?"

"Why would you think that? If one of the Servamps had an issue with the play, they would've called Mahiru." Licht pointed out. His expression didn't change as he walked to him. Mikuni picked up one of his music sheets and returned it to the box.

"Did you see Hyde tonight and that's why you were out so late?" He asked and Licht turned to him sharply. He gaped at him because he didn't know how to respond. "You should know better, Licht. They broke our mother's heart. Hyde left you. I don't want to see you hurt again."

"You know about us? For how long?" Licht asked slowly and his hands unconsciously tightened around his music sheets. His heart dropped to his stomach because he could already hear his answer. Mikuni simply nodded. He thought of the other conversations they had since he returned home. If he knew about their relationship for so long, why hadn't he said anything sooner?

"I knew from the beginning. Our bedrooms are right next to each other and this old house has thin walls. I overheard a lot of your late night conversations in high school." Mikuni explained and sat next to him on the ground. "I knew that you were dating him but I didn't think it was anything serious. You know what they did to mom and that you can't trust them."

"Hyde isn't like his father." Licht bit his lip. He didn't want to raise his voice and wake Misono, the last person that didn't know about his relationship. But he had to argue with Mikuni. "He wouldn't lie or steal from me."

"But he would play with your feelings and lead you on." Mikuni pointed out and Licht had to flinch. He remembered how betrayed he felt when he thought Hyde left him without a word. "I don't want to see you hurt again. If you're looking for your old music sheets, they're in the attic. If Hyde told you about his letter and you're looking for it, you won't find it here."

"What did you do, Mikuni?"

"I wanted to protect you and stop you from getting hurt." Mikuni answered shortly.

* * *

"What the hell?" Hyde cursed lightly when he was woken by his phone buzzing. He quickly sat up when he saw that it was Licht texting him. It was almost three in the morning so he thought it was strange that he was texting him. His gut told him that something was wrong and he hoped that he didn't change his mind.

 _Meet me at the_ _theater_. The text message was short but he knew that there was more behind it. He called Licht's number as he rushed to put on his jacket but he never answered. That made Hyde worry more and he ran downstairs. He didn't bother to be quiet because his mind was racing with worry. Licht said that Mahiru didn't yell at him and he wouldn't lie to him.

Hyde's mind created the worst case scenarios as he made his way to the theater. He found that the theater door was opened and light streamed out but he couldn't hear Licht playing the piano like he expected. He knew that Licht would go to the theater and play its piano whenever he felt troubled. He found him sitting in front of the piano but his hands rested limp on the keys.

"Lichtan?" Hyde stopped behind him and wrapped around him. He could feel how stiff he was in his arms and nuzzled against him lightly. He didn't know what was bothering him but he wanted to comfort him. He kissed his temple and waited for Licht to speak to him. He knew Licht and that he couldn't push him. "You know I'm here for you, right?"

He only sighed and tapped a random key repeatedly. He didn't have a song in mind but listening to the piano made him feel better. Hyde placed his hand over his and guided his fingers to play a simple chord. "Will you tell me what's wrong in exchange for a song?"

Hyde let him go and sat next to him on the piano bench. He played a short chord with one hand and held Licht's hand with the other. Licht leaned against his arm. He looked down at his face and saw the mixture of emotions crossing his face. "I guess those piano books payed off for something but I can't play anything more complicated than this."

"I couldn't find your letter." He admitted.

"It's okay, Lichtan. You have a lot of music sheets and it's been years so you won't find it right away. Getting down over something so small isn't like you so what's wrong? If a letter is so important, I'll write you a million more letters with my feelings in each one." Hyde reassured him but Licht bit his lips in frustration.

"The letter you wrote me is in some landfill and buried under nine years worth of trash." Licht told him as he pulled away. His hands tightened on his lap as he told him about his brother. "Mikuni knew. That morning, he heard you sneak into my room. He took your letter before I could find it... he tore it up and threw it away. He said he didn't want me finding the letter and waste my time waiting for you to come back when you were just playing with me."

Licht was angry and upset at his brother for interfering with his relationship. On the other hand, he knew that his brother was only trying to protect him. He didn't know what to feel towards his brother. He loved his brother but he couldn't help the feelings clashing within him. Hyde rubbed his arm to comfort him. "What happened after he told you that?"

"I called him an idiot and left the house. I didn't know what else to say to him." Licht said in a bitter voice but he didn't want to feel antagonistic towards his brother when he only had the best of intentions. "I couldn't stay in that house and I wanted to see you. I know it's really late at night and you were about to go to sleep."

"You know I would always come running to your rescue. Anyways, I'm used to long movie shoots so I don't need a lot of sleep." Hyde placed his finger beneath Licht's chin and lifted his face a little. He was surprised that Mikuni knew about their relationship in high school but he wanted to focus on Licht first. He knew how much he loved his brothers and that family was important to him.

"This only means that we need to work a little harder to show our families that we're serious and we're not going to let our parents' past ruin our relationship. I'll make Mikuni see that I love you and you won't ever have to worry about him doing something like that." Hyde lifted his hands to his lips and kissed his fingertips to seal the promise.

He kept his hands around Licht's and pulled him to his feet. "If you're not ready to go back and face Mikuni, you can stay with me. We'll cuddle in bed and we can talk about all the ways to tell our family without them flipping out. I know we were planning to discuss it over breakfast but a midnight snack is good too."

Licht rolled his eyes but smiled a little. Despite his teasing tone, he knew that Hyde was trying to cheer him up. He couldn't stay at Hyde's home but he didn't know if he could return home while he was still angry at his brother. "There's a 24 hour diner we can eat at. I don't know when we'll go home so you probably won't get much sleep tonight."

"Promises, promises." Hyde chuckled and lead him out of the theater.

* * *

"Mikuni, I want to ask you about this photo." Misono walked into the kitchen. It was still early in the morning but he wanted to speak to his brother before he left for work. He found him sitting at the kitchen island, looking into his tea cup. He had a serious expression which was rare for him. "Hey, what's wrong? Did you get a stain on Abel's dress or something?"

"Am I a good brother, Misono?" He asked without looking up from his drink.

"Where did that question come from?" Misono sat next to him and set down the photograph on the table. He wanted to ask him about the map but he could tell that Mikuni's mind was elsewhere. Mikuni had to work a lot to support their family after their mother died. There were times he wished Mikuni could be with them more but he understood why he had to.

"You're a good brother. You always try to make us happy and protect us even if you go too far sometimes." Misono reassured him but Mikuni still looked unconvinced. "I was hoping that you could help me with something. Does this map look familiar to you? Mom left it in her diary but I can't figure out where this is supposed to lead."

"Mom was always had a terrible time remembering directions." Mikuni looked over the photograph. He was the oldest so he knew the most about their mother. "She didn't label anything on here but the layout looks a little familiar. I think it's a map to the tree in this photo. Mom would tell me about a tree that she loved. Every time one of us was born, she took a picture of us in front of it."

"Thanks Mikuni!" Misono stood and took the photo from him. He was hoping that it was the direction to where the chest was. "I wonder what made it so special to mom. Maybe we should go visit it and check it out with Mahiru and Licht."

"Licht is a little angry with me right now so you might want to avoid getting in the middle. It's big kid drama that you don't need to bother with." Mikuni playfully ruffled his hair like he would when they were younger. "Just focus on the play and your big brother will deal with everything else."

"I'm not a child, Mikuni." Misono sighed as he pushed his hand away. He loved his brother but sometimes he could a little protective. "I can take care of myself. We all can now that we're adults. You head to bed too and we'll talk about visiting mom's tree in the morning."

**Author's Note:**

> I do love my LawLicht, so much that I do this to them XD I wanted to write a medieval Romeo and Juliet AU with the Servamps and Eves feuding. Then I thought I'll make this a mafia AU XD But I made it a modern AU with the servamps being humans. LawLicht is the main ship but I will have other ships in here.


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